Differences between Men and Women Enrolling in Smoking Cessation Programs Using Yoga as a Complementary Therapy.

Area of Science:

• Integrative Medicine
• Public Health
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Smoking cessation remains a significant public health challenge.
• Yoga is being explored as a complementary therapy for smoking cessation.
• Understanding gender-specific characteristics is crucial for intervention development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility of recruiting men and women into pilot studies for yoga as a smoking cessation aid.
• To compare demographic and clinical characteristics between male and female participants.
• To identify potential gender differences in smoking history, mediators, and covariates.

Main Methods:

• Two randomized controlled pilot studies were conducted.
• Participants included daily smokers aged 18-65.
• Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and chi-square tests were used to examine gender differences.

Main Results:

• Feasibility was demonstrated for recruiting both genders.
• Women reported significantly higher withdrawal, anxiety, and depression symptoms than men.
• Women were more likely to have been advised to quit, have smoking-related illnesses, and smoke for weight control.

Conclusions:

• Yoga is a feasible complementary therapy for smoking cessation in both men and women.
• Significant gender differences exist in psychological distress and smoking motivations.
• Interventions for smoking cessation may require tailoring to address specific needs of men and women.