Development of Comprehensive Yoga Program for Cervical Carcinoma

Abstract

Background: Prior research reveal the benefits of yoga in managing fatigue, stress and psychosocial outcomes in cervical carcinoma; however, a definite structured yoga program is unavailable. In this study an effort is made to develop and validate a structured yoga program for cervical carcinoma. Methods: A detailed review of ancient and contemporary yoga literature was conducted to design a basic yoga program. Five yoga experts, who fulfilled the inclusion criteria validated the program. 27 practices were rated as (i) not essential, (ii) useful but not essential, and (iii) essential; Lawshe's content validity ratio (CVR) was calculated. Results: Eighteen practices exhibited significant content validity (cut-off value: 0.99, as calculated by applying Lawshe's formula for the CVR). One practice was added to the module by the experts, making a total of 19 practices including meditation. Yoga nidra was added as a special practice on days of high fatigue. Conclusions: The designed program received good content validity and thus is valid for cervical cancer. The program is to be applied on patients to assess its acceptability and feasibility.