Eight-week Intervention Research Articles

Preventing intimate partner violence: a formative evaluation of an intervention programme serving immigrants, refugees and visible minority men

Although intimate partner violence (IPV) is the leading type of violence experienced by women in many parts of the world, limited research with mixed findings exists on IPV intervention programming for immigrants and visible minority subgroups. Changing Behaviors is an eight-week IPV intervention programme targeting immigrants, refugees and visible minority clientele in British Columbia, Canada. This pilot study provides a preliminary examination of programme impacts, using a mixed methods pre-test/post-test design. Fourteen participants completed the psychological and physical abuse subscales of the Abusive Behavior Inventory (Shepard and Campbell, 1992), and 11 participants answered open-ended questions concerning knowledge and skills learned in the programme. Participation in Changing Behaviors resulted in marginally significant decreases in psychologically abusive behaviours, but no change in physical abuse or gains in knowledge and skills concerning anger reduction or healthy emotional expression. Future attainment of gains in skills and reductions in abuse may be more successful through incorporating additional culturally enhanced components into the programme curriculum, as well as adding evidence-based practices from the IPV intervention literature.

Effects of a Movement-Based Mind–Body Intervention in Managing Symptoms in Older Adults with Osteoarthritis: Gender, Age, and Living Arrangement Differences

Background: Movement-based mind–body interventions (MMBIs) have been identified as an alternative and complementary therapy to ameliorate symptoms associated with osteoarthritis (OA). However, there is little evidence regarding effects of MMBI to improve chronic pain, physical function, and psychosocial health associated with gender, age group, or living arrangement. This study examined differences in age (younger vs. older geriatric groups), gender, and living arrangement in elderly patients with OA who utilized chair yoga (CY) as a type of MMBI for symptom management. Materials and Methods: This study used a two-arm assessor-blinded randomized control trial to examine effects of CY (twice-weekly 45-minute sessions for 8 weeks) on pain interference, physical function, and psychosocial outcomes by gender, age, and living arrangement in older adults with OA who could not participate in exercise. Results: A total of 112 older adults completed CY or a health education program (HEP) and provided data at five data collection points. Older women in the CY group showed greater reduction in pain interference during the CY intervention than those in the HEP. The younger geriatric group (ages 61–74 years) had decreased depression scores during the eight-week intervention period. Regardless of the intervention (CY or HEP), depression scores in older adults who were living alone decreased substantially during the intervention. Conclusion: Supervised group-based CY is recommended for older adults with OA. Online CY programs may be a way to address physical activity needs and improve mental well-being in this population in light of physical distancing practices due to coronavirus disease 2019. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02113410.

Listening for Young-adult EFL Learners: Metacognitive Intervention through L1

ABSTRACT This study investigates the effects of metacognitive intervention in first language on the listening performance of young-adult English as foreign language (EFL) learners in Iran, and probes the learners’ attitude toward such intervention in English as foreign language classrooms. The participants in the study were 61 young-adult EFL learners divided randomly into two groups: An experimental and a control group. Following Metacognitive Pedagogical Sequence and its importance in listening comprehension, the participants in the experimental group underwent an eight-week intervention delivered in L1 including the linear instruction of metacognitive strategies assisting their metacognitive awareness of the processes in second language listening. The control group, however, followed the conventional pedagogy of the language institute. The data were collected in the learners’ listening performance before, and after the intervention through listening comprehension test. The analysis of the quantitative data shows that metacognitive intervention in first language leads to a significant improvement in the overall listening performance of the learners. Similarly, the results of the interviews show that the Metacognitive Pedagogical Sequence and the presentation of metacognitive strategies in first language lead to learners’ higher listening performance and better mastery of note-taking and word-meaning guessing.

Developing Oral Interaction Skills in Foreign Language Learners through Media Literacy

Few studies in Colombia have incorporated media literacy in TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) environments. This paper presents the results of a research conducted in an upper-intermediate course in the Language Institute of the District University (ILUD) in Bogotá. A media literacy model was adapted to create weekly radio workshops in an eight-week pedagogical intervention. During the research study, data were collected from the participants' weekly interactions, discussions, reflections, as well as from semi-structured interviews and field notes taken from my observations as a participant-observer. It was found that EFL learners from a mixed-ability group were engaged in media literacy practices, mainly when they reflected upon news through their realities, beliefs, and attitudes. The results of this study demonstrated that students developed oral interaction skills and acquired diverse strategies that helped them discuss messages from different media outlets, express their personal opinions, and gather additional information to support their findings.

Influence of Music Therapy and Music-Based Interventions on Dementia: A Pilot Study.

According to national dementia plan in many countries, the music implementation into the daily routine as an adjunctive therapy to medication treatment is common. However, the ability of long-term care facilities to implement individualized music therapy (MT) and music-based interventions is not sufficiently taken into account. This pilot study examined the frequency of use and acceptance of MT and technology-based music interventions (TBMI) as well as the influence of high and low usage of both interventions of dementia on behavioral and psychological symptoms (BPSD) at two timepoints. Furthermore, the influence on the combination of MT and TBMI of dementia within the nursing home setting on BPSD with a focus on agitation, apathy, depression, and quality of life at all timepoints was considered. In the present study, data from 30 people with dementia (PwD) aged on average 81 years were analyzed within an eight-week noncontrolled intervention study, including four-week follow-up. Initial outcome data indicated significant decreases at times T2 and T3 in agitation and apathy among PwD with a high usage of MT and TBMI than among those with a low usage. In general, reductions were obtained from all observed BPSD at all timepoints. Significant results were found only for agitation over time. Considering the demonstrated results, a long-term implementation of music within daily routines in nursing homes for PwD should be strived for.

Raising critical cultural awareness through telecollaboration: insights for pre-service teacher education

Increase in diversified teaching contexts has led researchers to investigate the potentials of telecollaboration in multicultural learning environments. While there are abundant telecollaboration studies, improving intercultural awareness through a theoretical model is usually under-investigated. Based on Byram’s (1997) co-orientational and Bennett’s (1993) developmental intercultural competence models, this study intends to raise critical intercultural competence among 50 pre-service English teachers through telecollaboration with five faculty members across European countries. Relying on data generated through (a)synchronous delivery modes in an eight-week intervention, participants’ intercultural development was measured by quantitative and qualitative methods. The findings suggest that telecollaboration had a significant impact on learners’ critical intercultural development. In particular, interaction with different cultural perspectives dismantled prejudices and stereotypes as evidenced by their 1) cognisance of diversity, 2) pragmatic cultural stance, 3) latent intercultural conflict and 4) oppressed gender inequality. This study reveals that telecollaboration is a viable venue for increasing pre-service teachers’ critical cultural awareness and reducing biases in multicultural learning contexts.

Effectiveness of web-based intervention for reducing problematic alcohol use in Korean female college students

ABSTRACT Objective This study applies and evaluates the effectiveness of the online-based program Brief Empowerment Program for Alcohol Use Monitor among female university students in South Korea. Methods Participants were current drinkers scoring three or higher on the AUDIT-C test. A total of 70 students participated in the experimental group and 113 students in the control group. The study used a pretest-posttest control group design and an eight-week web-based intervention with a repeated-measures analysis of variance. Results The experimental group displayed a significant decrease (11.7%) of the AUDIT-C score, indicating the intervention’s effectiveness. Conclusions The present study emphasizes the implementation of effective interventions to reduce heavy drinking. The significant effect of the intervention is related to the characteristics of the web-based program. A web-based program is more appropriate than an in-person intervention for female college students with problematic drinking when considering Korean society’s context due to concerns about stigma.

The effect of music mat exercises on the device-measured sedentary time and physical activity among 4-6-year-old Finnish children and their parents: a pilot study

Exercises on a music mat were developed to promote Finnish, 4-6-year-old children’s and their parents’ physical activity (PA) and decrease sedentary behavior (SB) in the home environment. Altogether, fifteen families performed eight-week exercise intervention using a music mat. SB and PA were assessed by a tri-axial hip-worn accelerometer, and further by exercise diaries and questionnaires. The statistical methods employed a linear mixed-effects model design. Regarding children (n=14) and mothers (n=14), any statistically significant differences in the primary outcomes over time were not found. Among fathers (n=8), in turn, the reduction of SB was statistically significant (p=0.031). Most of the children and all the parents used the music mat less than instructed. The association between the children and their parents was negligible in all device-measured outcomes. One-third of children who used the music mat regularly as instructed increased their moderate-to-vigorous PA and Total-PA and decreased their SB. In conclusion, the music mat exercises in the home environment may promote PA or reduce SB among those who are willing to use the music mat regularly. At least, exercises might be a good addition to weekly PA and to break long sedentary bouts.

Impact of Different Exercise Modalities on the Human Gut Microbiome

In this study we examined changes to the human gut microbiome resulting from an eight-week intervention of either cardiorespiratory exercise (CRE) or resistance training exercise (RTE). Twenty-eight subjects (21 F; aged 18–26) were recruited for our CRE study and 28 subjects (17 F; aged 18–33) were recruited for our RTE study. Fecal samples for gut microbiome profiling were collected twice weekly during the pre-intervention phase (three weeks), intervention phase (eight weeks), and post-intervention phase (three weeks). Pre/post VO2max, three repetition maximum (3RM), and body composition measurements were conducted. Heart rate ranges for CRE were determined by subjects’ initial VO2max test. RTE weight ranges were established by subjects’ initial 3RM testing for squat, bench press, and bent-over row. Gut microbiota were profiled using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Microbiome sequence data were analyzed with QIIME 2. CRE resulted in initial changes to the gut microbiome which were not sustained through or after the intervention period, while RTE resulted in no detectable changes to the gut microbiota. For both CRE and RTE, we observe some evidence that the baseline microbiome composition may be predictive of exercise gains. This work suggests that the human gut microbiome can change in response to a new exercise program, but the type of exercise likely impacts whether a change occurs. The changes observed in our CRE intervention resemble a disturbance to the microbiome, where an initial shift is observed followed by a return to the baseline state. More work is needed to understand how sustained changes to the microbiome occur, resulting in differences that have been reported in cross sectional studies of athletes and non-athletes.

A Qualitative Study of Early Intervention Psychosis (EIP) Service Patient’s Experience of Sleep, Exercise, Sleep Hygiene Advice and Fitbit Wearable Activity and Sleep Tracker

Background: In psychosis physical activity, sleep, mental health, physical health, wellbeing, quality of life, cognition and functioning are interconnected. People who experience psychosis are more likely than the general population to have low levels of physical activity, high levels of sedentary behaviour and sleep problems. This project was innovative in seeking to address these issues through provision of a wearable activity and sleep tracker (a Fitbit) and sleep hygiene advice. Participants: Participants using an early intervention psychosis (EIP) service took part in an eight-week intervention, which incorporated the provision of a Fitbit, sleep hygiene advice as well as three engagement, feedback and discussion points with a clinician. Methods: A qualitative approach was used to conduct in-depth semi-structured interviews with 12 of the 25 intervention participants (5 male; 7 female). Thematic and content analyses were employed to analyse the data. Results: Participants provided valuable insights into their experience of sleep, exercise, Fitbit use and sleep hygiene advice use. It was found that participants placed a high value on effective night time sleep, recognized improvements in physical activity and noted a positive effect on mood and wellbeing as a result of Fitbit use. The negative impact of having ineffective night time sleep and insufficient physical activity was described. Participants demonstrated a good level of understanding of the connection between sleep, exercise, wellbeing, and health. Conclusion: Participants reported the Fitbit and sleep hygiene advice received through an EIP service to be beneficial for improved levels of physical activity and exercise, and more effective sleep. This is a simple and low cost intervention which could be made widely available through EIP and other mental health services.

Drums-Alive Intervention Effect on the Motor and Functional Skills in Youth with Intellectual Disabilities and Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Pilot Study

Intellectual disability (ID) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are associated with impairments in motor development, attention, and behavior. Physical activity (PA) has been demonstrated to improve these conditions. However, many individuals with ID and ASD are not motivated to persist at performing PA tasks for an extended period of time. Therefore, there is a great need to find forms of PA that could motivate individuals to stay at performing PA. One such form of PA is Drums-Alive, which involves movement, drumming, and music to increase enjoyment motivation. While it is speculated the Drums-Alive could have an effect on motor skills, attention, and behavior, this concept has not been examined in persons with ID and ASD. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the effect of Drums-Alive on motor skills, attention, and behavior for individuals with ID and ASD. Nine adolescents diagnosed with ID or ASD participated in an eight-week Drums-Alive program intervention. Motor skills, attention, and behavior were measured before and after the intervention. Paired-samples t-tests were used, and the statistical significance was established at p ≤ 0.05. The results suggested no significant differences in motor skills, attention, and behavior before and after the Drums-Alive intervention (p > 0.05). Though no statistical significance was found, improvements were observed from the pretest and posttest means, and all participants expressed their enjoyment of participating in the Drum-Alive program. More extended intervention and more participants will be needed in future research.

Perceived Psychosocial Benefits for Individuals with Parkinson’s Disease Following Therapeutic Yoga: A Qualitative Analysis

Using a qualitative approach, this study explored the perceived impacts of a therapeutic yoga intervention for individuals with Parkinson’s disease (PD), and examined the beneficial components of the intervention. Eighteen individuals with PD who completed an eight-week yoga intervention participated in focus groups to determine the general effects, transference of effects, and psychosocial impact of the intervention. Additionally, programmatic aspects of the intervention were explored. A conventional content analysis was used to analyze the data. Themes included expanding PD-related social support, using yoga as a tool to combat PD, increasing body awareness and acceptance of PD, and improved participation in leisure activities. Programmatic components discussed included: components of yoga, dosing, and creating social support. Implications for practitioners include recognizing and respecting limits, using a combination of static and dynamic poses, skillful use of props, and purposely creating opportunities to promote social support.

Innovative Strategies to Reach Diverse Elders: Using Age-Tastic to Improve Health and Well-Being

This session will present the findings of a randomized control trial evaluating the impact Age-Tastic has on behavioral change. Age-Tastic is an eight-week intervention that uses game play, group facilitated discussion, and at home activities to promote positive behavioral change. There are five behavioral change domains: emotional well-being, nutrition, financial exploitation, falls prevention, and health literacy. A randomized control trial was conducted in New York City senior centers and include a diverse group of older adults. There were 98 older adults assigned to an experimental or control group. Participants in both groups completed a baseline survey, which was repeated at the end of the intervention and at week sixteen. The experimental (n = 64) and control (n = 34) groups did not significantly differ at baseline in regard to behaviors; however, upon completion of the intervention, the experimental group had significantly changed health behaviors (p < .05) compared to the control group. The behavior change reported by the experimental group was maintained at week sixteen (p < .001) with a medium effect size (ε2 = .17). In addition the experimental group also reported significant improvements at weeks eight (p < .001) and sixteen (p < .001) with large effect sizes (r2 = .62 and .52, respectively). This study found that Age-Tastic is an effective intervention for engaging older adults holistically about their health and wellness and for promoting positive behavioral change among diverse racial and ethnic populations.

Confía en mí, Confío en ti: Applying developmental theory to mitigate sociocultural risk in Latinx families.

Ed Zigler was a champion for underprivileged youth, one who worked alongside communities to fight for long-lasting systemic changes that were informed by his lifespan and ecological perspective on the development of the whole child. This paper reports on the development, implementation, and preliminary outcomes of an intervention that embodied the Zigler approach by adopting a community participatory research lens to integrate complementary insights across community-based providers (promotoras), Latinx immigrant families, and developmental psychologists in the service of promoting parent-child relationship quality and preventing youth aggression and violence. Analyses from the first 112 Latinx mother-youth dyad participants (46% female children, ages 8-17) in the resultant, Confía en mí, Confío en ti, eight-week intervention revealed significant pre-post increases in purported mechanisms of change (i.e., attachment security, reflective functioning) and early intervention outcomes (i.e., depressive, anxiety, and externalizing problems). Treatment responses varied by youth age. A case analysis illustrated the lived experiences of the women and children served by this intervention. We discuss future directions for the program, as well as challenges to its sustainability. Finally, we consider Ed's legacy as we discuss the contributions of this work to developmental science and our understanding of attachment relationships among low-income immigrant Latinx families.

Protocol for a Single-Blind, Randomized, Parallel-Group Study of a Nonpharmacological Integrated Care Intervention to Reduce the Impact of Breathlessness in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Background: Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) frequently experience breathlessness despite maximal medical therapy. Nonpharmacological management is effective in studies enrolling patients with a variety of respiratory diseases; however, the impact on patients with COPD is unclear.Methods: A protocol for a mixed-methods, single-center, observer-blinded, fast-track randomized-controlled, parallel-group trial comparing an immediate eight-week nonpharmacological Westmead Breathlessness Service (WBS) to a standard care control group is described.Population: At least moderate COPD (FEV1:FVC ≤0.7; FEV1%predicted ≤60%) and persistent disabling breathlessness (modified Medical Research Council ≥2).Intervention: Individualized prescription of nonpharmacological breathlessness interventions, including a handheld fan, breathing techniques, postures to relieve breathlessness, relaxation, nutritional advice, energy conservation, and exercise advice delivered by a team including doctors, nurses, a physiotherapist, an occupational therapist, a dietitian, and speech pathologist.Control: Participants who receive the WBS intervention after an eight-week period while receiving usual care (standard care group).Outcome: Primary outcome—Chronic Respiratory Questionnaire (CRQ) Mastery subscale. Secondary outcomes include numerical rating scale of breathlessness intensity, unpleasantness, and confidence managing breathlessness; quality of life as measured by other CRQ subscales; Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale score; daily step count; health resource utilization 12 months pre- and postintervention; and cost-effectiveness. Qualitative analysis of participant interviews will provide additional context for interpreting the quantitative results.Discussion: This study aims to establish the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of an eight-week nonpharmacological breathlessness intervention in patients with COPD.Trial Registration: The Australian New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry ACTRN12617000499381 (06/04/17).

A pilot study on amygdala volumetric changes among young adults with childhood maltreatment histories after a mindfulness intervention

The amygdala morphometry is highly sensitive to stress and is implicated in various psychopathologies that are common among individuals with childhood maltreatment histories. This pilot study investigated bilateral amygdala volumetric changes among 15 young adults with childhood maltreatment histories undergoing an eight-week mindfulness intervention compared to 19 matched participants in a waitlist control group. Results indicated significant cross-individual variability in amygdala volumetric changes after the intervention, which resulted in no significant group by time interaction effect. Degree and direction of changes in right amygdala volume correlated with baseline volumes, with larger than average right amygdala showing an increase in volume and smaller amygdala a decrease. Increasing right amygdala volume was also associated with higher intervention compliance, and a greater increase in self-compassion. Increasing left amygdala volume was associated with more reduction in perceived stress, rejection sensitivity and interpersonal distress. Findings from the present study highlight the importance of investigating individual variability and its contributing factors in future studies on neural responses of mindfulness interventions, as well as the distinct responses of the left and right amygdala.

A pilot study of mindfulness-based relapse prevention for compulsive sexual behaviour disorder.

Background and aims Compulsive sexual behaviour disorder (CSBD) is a medical condition that can impair social and occupational functioning and lead to severe distress. To date, treatment effectiveness studies of CSBD are under-developed; typically, treatment for CSBD is based on guidelines for substance or other behavioural addictions. Mindfulness-based relapse prevention (MBRP) is an evidence-based treatment for substance addiction aimed at, among other things, reducing craving and negative affect—i.e. processes that are implicated in the maintenance of problematic sexual behaviours. However, to our knowledge no prior research has been published evaluating mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) in the treatment of CSBD, except two clinical case reports. Therefore, the aim of the current pilot study was to examine whether MBRP can lead to clinical improvement in CSBD.MethodsParticipants were 13 adult males with a diagnosis of CSBD. Before and after the eight-week MBRP intervention, participants completed a booklet of questionnaires including measurements of porn viewing, masturbation and emotional distress.ResultsAs expected, we found that after MBRP participants spent significantly less time engaging in problematic pornography use and exhibited a decrease in anxiety, depression and obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms.Discussion and ConclusionsThe findings indicate that MBRP could be beneficial for CSBD individuals. Further clinical effectiveness studies with bigger sample sizes, delayed post-training measurements and randomised control trial design are warranted. In conclusion, MBRP leads to a decrease in time spent watching porn and a decrease in emotional distress in CSBD patients.

Relationship between mothers\u2019 enjoyment and sedentary behavior and physical activity of mother\u2013child dyads using a movement-to-music video program: a secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial

BackgroundParental support and participation in physical activity (PA) with children and parents’ acting as a role model for less sedentary behaviors (SB) are critical factors for children’s healthier lifestyle. The purpose of the study was to assess the relationship between mothers’ enjoyment and participants’ sedentary behavior (SB) and physical activity (PA) as a secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) using data from Moving Sound RCT in the Pirkanmaa area of Finland.MethodsThe participants were 108 mother–child dyads (child age 5–7 years) who completed the eight-week exercise intervention using a movement-to-music video program in their homes. Mothers’ enjoyment was examined using a modified version of the enjoyment in sport questionnaire. The proportion of SB, standing, light PA, moderate-to-vigorous PA, and Total PA were derived from accelerometers at baseline and during the final week of the intervention. Analyses were performed using linear mixed-effect models for (1) intervention and control groups, (2) groups based on mothers’ enjoyment.ResultsThe results highlighted that mothers’ enjoyment of exercise with their children was overall high. Although there was no difference between the intervention and control groups, mothers in the intervention group increased their enjoyment during the intervention (p = 0.007). With mothers’ higher enjoyment at baseline, children’s light PA increased (p < 0.001), and with mothers’ lower enjoyment, children’s SB increased (p = 0.010). Further, if mothers’ enjoyment decreased during the study, their own LPA increased (p = 0.049), and their children’s SB increased (p = 0.013). If mothers’ enjoyment remained stable, children’s light PA (p = 0.002) and Total PA (p = 0.034) increased.ConclusionsIn this RCT, no differences were found between the intervention and control groups or groups based on mothers’ enjoyment, possibly due to the low power of the study. However, mothers’ enjoyment of exercise with their children increased within the intervention group, and mothers’ enjoyment influenced children’s SB and PA. For future studies, it would be essential to focus on children’s enjoyment and factors behind the behavior change.Trial registrationThe study is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, registration number NTC02270138, on October 2, 2014.

Getting Active with Active Video Games: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Given the cultural emphasis on academic achievement and environmental constraints to physical activity (PA), active video games (AVGs) may be used to decrease sedentary behavior and increase PA of Hong Kong children. This study explored the potential of a school-based AVG intervention on sedentary time, PA, body composition, and psychosocial factors among children. Eighty-seven children (intervention n = 30) were recruited from one primary school. Classes in Grades 4–6 were allocated to either the intervention group or the control group in a 2:1 ratio. The eight-week intervention involved children playing AVGs in an after-school class twice a week. Participants in the control group continued with their usual activities. Outcome included the change of participants in sedentary time, PA, percentage body fat, body mass index (BMI), and psychosocial variables (enjoyment, self-efficacy and social support), from baseline to eight weeks. No significant group differences were observed in sedentary time (−33.9 min/day, 95% CI −70.8 to 4.8; p = 0.07). The intervention group significantly increased total PA (53.7 counts/min, 95% CI 8.6 to 104.2; p = 0.04) compared with those in the control condition. No differences were found in body composition and psychosocial variables. However, significant treatment effects were found on BMI z score among boys (−0.1, 95% CI −0.2 to 0; p = 0.04). An eight-week school-based AVG intervention delivered during after-school hours was effective in increasing activity levels among Hong Kong children. The treatment effects of AVGs on sedentary behavior and body composition need to be further demonstrated in a more robust study, especially in boys.

Yoga to Reduce Leisure Constraints for Residents of Assisted Living Facilities

Residents of assisted living facilities face leisure constraints (barriers to leisure activities) at higher rates than their community-dwelling peers. Past research suggests yoga may be an effective intervention to decrease leisure constraints to physical activity. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of an eight-week yoga intervention on the leisure constraints of residents of assisted living facilities. The study employed a convergent mixed methods design to assess the impact of a 50-minute group yoga intervention, offered twice a week for eight weeks by a Certified Yoga Therapist. The intervention was implemented at four different assisted living facilities in the Southeastern United States. Pre- and post-quantitative measures were collected to assess overall leisure constraints, limitations in functional fitness, and pain interference. Qualitative data were collected via focus groups post-yoga intervention to determine participants’ perspectives on changes in leisure constraints. A total of 15 participants completed the study. Data analysis revealed significant improvements in two of the four functional fitness measures: upper body endurance (measured by the Arm Curl Test), and trunk stability (measured by the Function in Sitting Test). No significant improvements were observed in pain interference, or overall leisure constraints. Qualitative results indicated participants used yoga to help engage in daily activities such as housework, sleeping, and walking. Additionally, participants reported using yoga to help manage pain. In this sample, yoga appears to be a promising intervention to help reduce specific leisure constraints such as a reduction in functional fitness. Additionally, yoga shows some promise as a pain management strategy, warranting further research.