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

Aims: 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.

Methods: 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.

Results: 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.

Conclusions: 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.