Holger Cramer1, Tobias Sundberg2, Dania Schumann3, Matthew J Leach4, Romy Lauche5. 1. Department of Internal and Integrative Medicine, Kliniken Essen-Mitte, Faculty of Medicine, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany; Australian Research Centre in Complementary and Integrative Medicine (ARCCIM), Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Electronic address: h.cramer@kliniken-essen-mitte.de. 2. Australian Research Centre in Complementary and Integrative Medicine (ARCCIM), Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society (NVS/OMV), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. Electronic address: Tobias.Sundberg@ki.se. 3. Department of Internal and Integrative Medicine, Kliniken Essen-Mitte, Faculty of Medicine, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany. Electronic address: D.Schumann@kliniken-essen-mitte.de. 4. Australian Research Centre in Complementary and Integrative Medicine (ARCCIM), Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Division of Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia. Electronic address: matthew.leach@unisa.edu.au. 5. Australian Research Centre in Complementary and Integrative Medicine (ARCCIM), Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Electronic address: Romy.Lauche@uts.edu.au.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: To examine the prevalence of vegetarianism among yoga practitioners, and to explore differences and similarities between yoga practitioners who also use vegetarian diet and those who do not. DESIGN AND SETTING: Using cross-sectional data from the 2012 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) (N = 34,525), weighted frequencies for 12-month prevalence of vegetarian diet use among yoga practitioners were analyzed. Logistic regression analyses were used to analyze sociodemographic and clinical predictors of vegetarian diet use. RESULTS: A total of 1.7 million US yoga practitioners have used a vegetarian diet in the past 12 months (8.3%), compared to 2.7 million non-yoga practitioners (1.3%). Yoga practitioners who were aged between 30 and 64 years as compared to being 29 years or younger were more likely to have used a vegetarian diet in the past 12 months; while those being in a relationship (OR = 0.64), overweight (OR = 0.54), smoking (OR 0.64) or having private health insurance (OR = 0.59) were less likely. Vegetarian diet practitioners more often included meditation as part of their yoga practice and more often chose yoga because it had a holistic focus, and was perceived to treat the cause and not the symptoms of their health complaint. CONCLUSIONS: Yoga practitioners following a vegetarian diet seem to embrace yoga more as a lifestyle than as a therapy.
BACKGROUND: To examine the prevalence of vegetarianism among yoga practitioners, and to explore differences and similarities between yoga practitioners who also use vegetarian diet and those who do not. DESIGN AND SETTING: Using cross-sectional data from the 2012 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) (N = 34,525), weighted frequencies for 12-month prevalence of vegetarian diet use among yoga practitioners were analyzed. Logistic regression analyses were used to analyze sociodemographic and clinical predictors of vegetarian diet use. RESULTS: A total of 1.7 million US yoga practitioners have used a vegetarian diet in the past 12 months (8.3%), compared to 2.7 million non-yoga practitioners (1.3%). Yoga practitioners who were aged between 30 and 64 years as compared to being 29 years or younger were more likely to have used a vegetarian diet in the past 12 months; while those being in a relationship (OR = 0.64), overweight (OR = 0.54), smoking (OR 0.64) or having private health insurance (OR = 0.59) were less likely. Vegetarian diet practitioners more often included meditation as part of their yoga practice and more often chose yoga because it had a holistic focus, and was perceived to treat the cause and not the symptoms of their health complaint. CONCLUSIONS: Yoga practitioners following a vegetarian diet seem to embrace yoga more as a lifestyle than as a therapy.
Authors: Tosca D Braun; Elizabeth D Schifano; Lucy Finkelstein-Fox; Crystal L Park; Lisa A Conboy; Rina Deshpande; Kristen E Riley; Sara W Lazar Journal: Complement Ther Clin Pract Date: 2021-08-29 Impact factor: 2.446