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Perceived usefulness of yoga to maintain well-being and in relation to COVID-19 cases among Hungarian yoga practitioners.

BACKGROUND
The present COVID-19 epidemic has had a considerable impact on the mental health of individuals worldwide. Research projects suggests potential benefits of yoga practice for prevention, or as medical supplementation in relation to the present pandemic. This study investigated the association between yoga and health status, and how the frequency of yoga practice affected the mental well-being (MWB) of the respondents.


METHODS
Hungarian yoga practitioners (N=379) aged 20 to 75 years (93.4% female) were asked about their personal health, perceived usefulness of yoga practice for COVID-19 cases and their MWB. Data were collected between April 17 and May 17, 2021. The measurement tool used was an online questionnaire including sociodemographic data, characteristics of yoga practice, COVID-19 and health related questions, and WHO Well-being Index (WBI-5). Associations were examined through ANOVA and Chi-square tests.


RESULTS
There was a significant difference among the yoga practice groups by weekly frequency (once a week, 2-3 times a week, 4-5 times a week, daily) on the total mean score of well-being (WBI-5), F (3, 373) = 12.97, p < 0.001, ηp 2 = 0.094. The daily practice of yoga showed the highest MWB.


CONCLUSIONS
According to our findings, it can be stated that regular yoga practice is associated with higher level of MWB which can be successful in dealing with COVID-19 issues such as stress and depression.