Introduction: Despite negative effects of smoking, smokers have difficulty quitting, suggesting a need for additional strategies to help them quit. A single-session hatha yoga intervention acutely reduced craving among nicotine-deprived smokers not attempting to reduce or quit, yet it is unknown if it reduces craving among those attempting to change their smoking. Thus, this study tested the efficacy of a single-session hatha yoga intervention for acutely reducing craving among smokers attempting to reduce or quit smoking.
Methods: Data presented are part of a larger dissertation project. Participants were 55 community-recruited smokers (62% male) motivated to reduce or quit smoking randomized to one session of hatha yoga (n = 25) or wellness control (ie, reading educational materials about healthy lifestyle; n = 30) on their intervention day (ie, the day on which they began to reduce or quit smoking). Participants rated, "I have a desire for a cigarette right now," on a 7-point Likert scale immediately before and after the intervention.
Results: After statistically controlling for CO in breath, participant type, age, gender, race, and ethnicity, a significant Time × Condition interaction was found, F(1, 47) = 4.72, p = .035, ηp2 = .09, suggesting craving decreased at a greater rate in the hatha yoga condition relative to the wellness condition.
Conclusions: Results from this study add to a growing body of research demonstrating the potential clinical utility of hatha yoga as an adjunctive intervention tool for smoking cessation.
Implications: This is the first known study to test the impact of a single-session hatha yoga intervention on craving among adult smokers attempting to reduce or quit smoking. We found that 30 minutes of hatha yoga produced a greater reduction in craving compared to a 30-minute wellness control condition. This relationship was evident even after statistically accounting for other important variables (eg, gender). Results of this study add to a growing body of literature demonstrating the potential clinical utility of hatha yoga as an adjunctive intervention strategy for smoking cessation.
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