Introduction: Cancer poses a substantial burden on the health of Canadians. Although advancements in screening and treatment have reduced, cancer-related morbidity and quality of life remain important concerns throughout cancer treatment and survivorship. <p>Purpose: This study examined the impact of Iyengar yoga on quality of life and other cancer-related symptoms among people with cancer. <p>Methods: All individuals registered for the Fall 2006 and Winter 2007, 10-week Iyengar yoga programs, offered by CancerCare Manitoba through private donations, were invited to participate in the study. Participants were asked to complete standard self-report questionnaires and participant diaries at baseline, week-5, week-10, and 6 weeks following the last class. The interventions impact on study outcomes were determined using repeated measures ANOVAs and paired samples t-tests. Six participant interviews and a review of participant diaries were conducted and analyzed using categorical aggregation and direct interpretation to identify other relevant issues as raised by participants and to document any negative effects of the program.<p>Results: Nineteen female participants completed the yoga intervention. The mean age of the sample was 50 years and the majority self-identified as Caucasian. Approximately one third had breast cancer and 63% were undergoing treatment for cancer at baseline. Results from the questionnaires showed statistically significant improvements in quality of life, mood disturbance, spiritual well-being, anxiety, nausea, pain, participants most bothersome symptom at baseline, and trait anxiety. Results from the interviews and participant diaries showed that participants experienced increases in social support, relaxation, mental concentration, and in flexibility, strength, and mobility in problem areas. Participants also expressed that their Iyengar yoga practice was empowering and supported their need to take an active role in their health and take a holistic approach to care. It was suggested that Iyengar yoga might contribute to the benefits reported through an ability to facilitate the development of coping skills or mindfulness.<p>Conclusions: The Iyengar yoga program for people living with cancer offered by CancerCare Manitoba can be considered a complex, multi-level, multi-modal intervention. Although, due to design limitations, neither causality nor a dose-response relationship between the Iyengar yoga intervention and the improvements in cancer-related outcomes could be inferred, the present study lends support to the assertion that Iyengar yoga is beneficial to the well-being of those living with cancer.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:SSU.etd-08282007-142024 |
| Date | 30 August 2007 |
| Creators | Duncan, Meghan D |
| Contributors | Leis, Anne, Kowalski, Kent, Janzen, Bonnie, Taylor-Brown, Jill |
| Publisher | University of Saskatchewan |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | http://library.usask.ca/theses/available/etd-08282007-142024/ |
| Rights | unrestricted, I hereby certify that, if appropriate, I have obtained and attached hereto a written permission statement from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis, dissertation, or project report, allowing distribution as specified below. I certify that the version I submitted is the same as that approved by my advisory committee. I hereby grant to University of Saskatchewan or its agents the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible, under the conditions specified below, my thesis, dissertation, or project report in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis, dissertation or project report. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis, dissertation, or project report. |
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