Preprint / Version 1

Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of Yoga in Rural and Urban India, KAPY 2017: A Nationwide Cluster Sample Survey

Authors

  • Amit Mishra Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana, Bengaluru 560019, India; [email protected] (A.S.M.); [email protected] (A.S.);
  • Rajesh SK Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana, Bengaluru 560019, India; [email protected] (A.S.M.); [email protected] (A.S.);
  • Vadiraja HS Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana, Bengaluru 560019, India; [email protected] (A.S.M.); [email protected] (A.S.);
  • Raghuram Nagarathna Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana, Bengaluru 560019, India; [email protected] (A.S.M.); [email protected] (A.S.);
  • Akshay Anand Neuroscience Research Lab, Department of Neurology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh 160012, India; [email protected]
  • Himshikha Bhutani Neuroscience Research Lab, Department of Neurology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh 160012, India; [email protected]
  • Madhava Sivapuram Department of General Medicine, Dr. Pinnamaneni Siddhartha Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Foundation, Chinna-Avutapalli 521101, India; [email protected]
  • Amit Singh Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana, Bengaluru 560019, India; [email protected] (A.S.M.); [email protected] (A.S.);
  • Hongasandra Nagendra Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana, Bengaluru 560019, India; [email protected] (A.S.M.); [email protected] (A.S.);

Keywords:

yoga, health, lifestyle, integrative medicine

Abstract

Background: To examine the knowledge, attitudes, and practice gap of yoga across India based on implicit perceptions. Methods: The present study is a nationwide door-to-door survey conducted using a questionnaire/screening form. The data were collected from a national survey conducted under the Niyantrit Madhumeh Bharat (NMB) program initiated by The Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha, Homeopathy (AYUSH), Government of India, from all major zones of the country. A total of 162,330 participants who joined the NMB program were recruited in our study. Results: Out of the total respondents to the survey, it was observed that 11.8% [13,336/112,735] practice yoga, which was highest in the north zone [4,567/112,735] and lowest in the east zone [971/112,735]. Out of 101,643 respondents, 94,135 of the individuals who participated in the survey believed that yoga improved their lifestyle, and 90,102/98,518 believed that yoga prevented diabetes, revealing a huge knowledge–practice gap. Conclusions: The scale of the knowledge–practice gap coupled with the general acceptability of yoga calls for a change in the conventional healthcare provisions by its integration with modern medicine. The population-wide positive perceptions about yoga as a preventive health tool can not only catalyze consensus disease-specific yoga modules but also bridge the knowledge–practice gap that exists because of limited yoga centers and professionals. Keywords: yoga, health, lifestyle, integrative medicine

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