Patterns of yoga practice and physical activity following a yoga intervention for adults with or at risk for type 2 diabetes.

BACKGROUND The current study described patterns of yoga practice and examined differences in physical activity over time between individuals with or at risk for type 2 diabetes who completed an 8-week yoga intervention compared with controls. METHODS A longitudinal comparative design measured the effect of a yoga intervention on yoga practice and physical activity, using data at baseline and postintervention months 3, 6, and 15. RESULTS Disparate patterns of yoga practice occurred between intervention and control participants over time, but the subjective definition of yoga practice limits interpretation. Multilevel model estimates indicated that treatment group did not have a significant influence in the rate of change in physical activity over the study period. While age and education were not significant individual predictors, the inclusion of these variables in the model did improve fit. CONCLUSIONS Findings indicate that an 8-week yoga intervention had little effect on physical activity over time. Further research is necessary to explore the influence of yoga on behavioral health outcomes among individuals with or at risk for type 2 diabetes.