Feasibility of a Yoga Intervention for Children and Adolescents Undergoing Hematopoietic Cell Transplant

Interventions to support function and quality of life among pediatric patients undergoing hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) are a priority. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of a structured, individualized yoga intervention for children/adolescents undergoing HCT.

Patients ages 8-17 years hospitalized for HCT participated in either phase one (standard of care [SOC] group) or phase two (yoga group) of the study. Feasibility outcomes included recruitment rates, number/intensity of yoga sessions completed, and patient satisfaction. Participants in both groups completed functional outcome and quality of life (QOL) measures.

All participants approached for the study agreed to participate, with 22 in the SOC group and 8 in the yoga group. On average, yoga participants completed 5.3 ± 2.8 sessions, the majority of moderate intensity. Most yoga participants reported the overall program, breathing, and relaxation strategies as helpful (83.3%) and supported their ability to move (66.7%). There were functional gain trends noted from baseline to time point 3 among the yoga group not observed in the SOC group.

Yoga is feasible as a therapeutic intervention for hospitalized pediatric patients undergoing HCT. Functional assessment data, if streamlined, may be a relevant outcome for future yoga interventions.