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Background: Antenatal depression and anxiety are associated with adverse obstetric and mental health outcomes, yet practicable nonpharmacological therapies, particularly for the latter, are lacking. Yoga incorporates relaxation and breathing techniques with postures that can be customized for pregnant women. This study tested the efficacy of yoga as an intervention for reducing maternal anxiety during pregnancy. Methods: Fifty-nine primiparous, low-risk pregnant women completed questionnaires assessing state (State Trait Anxiety Inventory; STAI-State), trait (STAI-Trait), and pregnancy-specific anxiety (Wijma Delivery Expectancy Questionnaire; WDEQ) and depression (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale; EPDS) before randomization (baseline) to either an 8-week course of antenatal yoga or treatment-as-usual (TAU); both groups repeated the questionnaires at follow-up. The yoga group also completed pre- and postsession state anxiety and stress hormone assessments at both the first and last session of the 8-week course. Results: A single session of yoga reduced both subjective and physiological measures of state anxiety (STAI-S and cortisol); and this class-induced reduction in anxiety remained at the final session of the intervention. Multiple linear regression analyses identified allocation to yoga as predictive of greater reduction in WDEQ scores (B = -9.59; BCa 95% CI = -18.25 to -0.43; P = .014; d = -0.57), while allocation to TAU was predictive of significantly increased elevation in EPDS scores (B = -3.06; BCa 95% CI = -5.9 to -0.17; P = .042; d = -0.5). No significant differences were observed in state or trait anxiety scores between baseline and follow-up. Conclusion: Antenatal yoga seems to be useful for reducing women's anxieties toward childbirth and preventing increases in depressive symptomatology. (C) 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Background: Antenatal depression and anxiety are associated with adverse obstetric and mental health outcomes, yet practicable nonpharmacological therapies, particularly for the latter, are lacking. Yoga incorporates relaxation and breathing techniques with postures that can be customized for pregnant women. This study tested the efficacy of yoga as an intervention for reducing maternal anxiety during pregnancy. Methods: Fifty-nine primiparous, low-risk pregnant women completed questionnaires assessing state (State Trait Anxiety Inventory; STAI-State), trait (STAI-Trait), and pregnancy-specific anxiety (Wijma Delivery Expectancy Questionnaire; WDEQ) and depression (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale; EPDS) before randomization (baseline) to either an 8-week course of antenatal yoga or treatment-as-usual (TAU); both groups repeated the questionnaires at follow-up. The yoga group also completed pre- and postsession state anxiety and stress hormone assessments at both the first and last session of the 8-week course. Results: A single session of yoga reduced both subjective and physiological measures of state anxiety (STAI-S and cortisol); and this class-induced reduction in anxiety remained at the final session of the intervention. Multiple linear regression analyses identified allocation to yoga as predictive of greater reduction in WDEQ scores (B = -9.59; BCa 95% CI = -18.25 to -0.43; P = .014; d = -0.57), while allocation to TAU was predictive of significantly increased elevation in EPDS scores (B = -3.06; BCa 95% CI = -5.9 to -0.17; P = .042; d = -0.5). No significant differences were observed in state or trait anxiety scores between baseline and follow-up. Conclusion: Antenatal yoga seems to be useful for reducing women's anxieties toward childbirth and preventing increases in depressive symptomatology. (C) 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Study Design. Multicentered randomized controlled trial with quality of life and resource use data collected. Objective. The objective of this study was to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of yoga intervention plus usual care compared with usual care alone for chronic or recurrent low back pain. Summary of Background Data. Yoga has been shown as an effective intervention for treating chronic or recurrent low back pain. However, there is little evidence on its cost-effectiveness. The data are extracted from a pragmatic, multicentered, randomized controlled trial that has been conducted to evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a 12-week progressive program of yoga plus usual care in patients with chronic or recurrent low back pain. Methods. With this trial data, a cost-effectiveness analysis during the time period of 12 months from both perspectives of the UK National Health Service and the societal is presented. Main outcome measure is an incremental cost per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY). Results. From the perspective of the UK National Health Service, yoga intervention yields an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of 13,606 pound per QALY. Given a willingness to pay for an additional QALY of 20,000 pound, the probability of yoga intervention being cost-effective is 72%. From the perspective of the society, yoga intervention is a dominant treatment compared with usual care alone. This result is surrounded by fewer uncertainties-the probability of yoga being cost-effective reaches 95% at a willingness to pay for an additional QALY of 20,000 pound. Sensitive analyses suggest the same results that yoga intervention is likely to be cost-effective in both perspectives. Conclusion. On the basis of this trial, 12 weekly group classes of specialized yoga are likely to be a cost-effective intervention for treating patients with chronic or recurrent low back pain.