title: Characteristics of women who practice yoga in different locations during pregnancy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Yoga practice during pregnancy is gaining increasing popularity. This study examined the characteristics of pregnant women who practiced yoga in regard to the different locations (at home, in yoga classes, or both).
  
  
  METHODS
  The study sample was drawn from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH), a national longitudinal study of women to investigate multiple factors affecting health and well-being of women over a 20-year period.
  
  
  METHODS
  Postal survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  Women born between 1973 and 1978, who were randomly selected from the national Medicare database and identified as being pregnant or having recently given birth (n=2316).
  
  
  METHODS
  Relationships between yoga use (attending yoga classes and/or practising yoga at home) and women's characteristics (demographic measures, pregnancy-related health concerns, health service utilisation, attitudes to complementary and alternative medicine).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Practising yoga both at home and in classes was associated with perceiving complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) as preventative (odds ratio (OR)=1.62); perceiving CAM as affording health control (OR=1.50); experiencing sadness (OR=1.72); preparing for labour (OR=2.31); birthing in a birth centre (OR=7.97); and experiencing less vomiting (OR=0.38). Practising at home only was associated with perceiving CAM as affording health control (OR=1.76); perceiving CAM as promoting a holistic health approach (OR=1.65); and birthing in a birth centre (OR=3.54). Practising in classes only was associated with experiencing stress (OR=1.97); and birthing in a birth centre (OR=4.85) (all p<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings suggest that the location in which a woman practices yoga is associated with attitudinal, health-related and birth environmental factors.
authors: Department of Internal and Integrative Medicine, Kliniken Essen-Mitte, Faculty of Medicine, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany Faculty of Health, Australian Research Centre in Complementary and Integrative Medicine (ARCCIM), University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors: Holger
authors: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3640-8046
authors: H
authors: Cramer
authors: Faculty of Health, Australian Research Centre in Complementary and Integrative Medicine (ARCCIM), University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors: Jane
authors: J
authors: Frawley
authors: Faculty of Health, Australian Research Centre in Complementary and Integrative Medicine (ARCCIM), University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Endeavour College of Natural Health, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
authors: Amie
authors: A
authors: Steel
authors: Faculty of Health, Australian Research Centre in Complementary and Integrative Medicine (ARCCIM), University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia School of Nursing & Midwifery, Monash University, Frankston, Victoria, Australia.
authors: Helen
authors: H
authors: Hall
authors: Faculty of Health, Australian Research Centre in Complementary and Integrative Medicine (ARCCIM), University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors: Jon
authors: J
authors: Adams
authors: Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, School of Social Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
authors: Alex
authors: A
authors: Broom
authors: Faculty of Health, Australian Research Centre in Complementary and Integrative Medicine (ARCCIM), University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors: David
authors: D
authors: Sibbritt
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001315:Australia; D016550:Birthing Centers; D000529:Complementary Therapies / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D011247:Pregnancy; D037841:Pregnant People / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016387:Women's Health; D015013:Yoga
keywords: COMPLEMENTARY MEDICINE; OBSTETRICS; YOGA