If we offer, will they come: Perceptions of yoga among Hispanics

Objective: Yoga is underutilized by the Hispanics. This study examined perceptions of benefits and barriers to yoga among Hispanic adults, to provide information that may increase their participation in this practice. Setting: Participants were recruited from a Community Center serving low-income Hi...

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Main Authors: Herpreet Thind, Angeline Garcia, Martha Velez, Katherine L. Tucker
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2021-01-01
Series:Complementary Therapies in Medicine
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0965229920318896
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author Herpreet Thind
Angeline Garcia
Martha Velez
Katherine L. Tucker
author_facet Herpreet Thind
Angeline Garcia
Martha Velez
Katherine L. Tucker
author_sort Herpreet Thind
collection DOAJ
description Objective: Yoga is underutilized by the Hispanics. This study examined perceptions of benefits and barriers to yoga among Hispanic adults, to provide information that may increase their participation in this practice. Setting: Participants were recruited from a Community Center serving low-income Hispanics. Design: Self-administered cross-sectional questionnaires assessing benefits and barriers to yoga were conducted in Spanish and English. Fisher’s exact test was used to examine perceptions of yoga by gender, age, and prior experience. Results: Participants (ages 18–85, 65 % women, n = 121) reported several benefits to yoga. Hispanic women, individuals 65 y or older, and those with prior experience, perceived more benefits. Barriers to yoga also differed by demographics. Men reported that time and the perception that they would have to do unrealistic pretzel-like poses as deterrents to yoga practice; younger individuals perceived yoga to be boring, and those with no experience perceived lack of flexibility and feeling like an outsider in class, as barriers to yoga. The most common barrier, across subgroups, was the cost associated with yoga practice. The majority of participants reported being willing to attend yoga classes if offered at a low cost. Conclusion: Perceived barriers related to yoga reflect a lack of knowledge about yoga and what it entails and the cost of classes. Despite these barriers, Hispanic adults from a low-income population said they would be willing to attend yoga classes if offered at a low cost. Understanding and addressing these barriers can help researchers and health practitioners improve diversity in yoga classes and research.
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spelling doaj.art-c7fc35c709dc4d8790b620a152c2890d2022-12-21T18:22:54ZengElsevierComplementary Therapies in Medicine0965-22992021-01-0156102622If we offer, will they come: Perceptions of yoga among HispanicsHerpreet Thind0Angeline Garcia1Martha Velez2Katherine L. Tucker3Department of Public Health, University of Massachusetts Lowell, MA, USA; Corresponding author at: Department of Public Health, University of Massachusetts Lowell, 61 Wilder Street, O’Leary 540 N, Lowell, MA, 01854, USA.The Center: Seniors, Families, Community; Council on Aging, Lawrence, MA, USAThe Center: Seniors, Families, Community; Council on Aging, Lawrence, MA, USADepartment of Biomedical and Nutritional Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell, MA, USAObjective: Yoga is underutilized by the Hispanics. This study examined perceptions of benefits and barriers to yoga among Hispanic adults, to provide information that may increase their participation in this practice. Setting: Participants were recruited from a Community Center serving low-income Hispanics. Design: Self-administered cross-sectional questionnaires assessing benefits and barriers to yoga were conducted in Spanish and English. Fisher’s exact test was used to examine perceptions of yoga by gender, age, and prior experience. Results: Participants (ages 18–85, 65 % women, n = 121) reported several benefits to yoga. Hispanic women, individuals 65 y or older, and those with prior experience, perceived more benefits. Barriers to yoga also differed by demographics. Men reported that time and the perception that they would have to do unrealistic pretzel-like poses as deterrents to yoga practice; younger individuals perceived yoga to be boring, and those with no experience perceived lack of flexibility and feeling like an outsider in class, as barriers to yoga. The most common barrier, across subgroups, was the cost associated with yoga practice. The majority of participants reported being willing to attend yoga classes if offered at a low cost. Conclusion: Perceived barriers related to yoga reflect a lack of knowledge about yoga and what it entails and the cost of classes. Despite these barriers, Hispanic adults from a low-income population said they would be willing to attend yoga classes if offered at a low cost. Understanding and addressing these barriers can help researchers and health practitioners improve diversity in yoga classes and research.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0965229920318896YogaHispanicsAcceptabilitySurveyLow-income community
spellingShingle Herpreet Thind
Angeline Garcia
Martha Velez
Katherine L. Tucker
If we offer, will they come: Perceptions of yoga among Hispanics
Complementary Therapies in Medicine
Yoga
Hispanics
Acceptability
Survey
Low-income community
title If we offer, will they come: Perceptions of yoga among Hispanics
title_full If we offer, will they come: Perceptions of yoga among Hispanics
title_fullStr If we offer, will they come: Perceptions of yoga among Hispanics
title_full_unstemmed If we offer, will they come: Perceptions of yoga among Hispanics
title_short If we offer, will they come: Perceptions of yoga among Hispanics
title_sort if we offer will they come perceptions of yoga among hispanics
topic Yoga
Hispanics
Acceptability
Survey
Low-income community
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0965229920318896
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