Effects of yoga on physical and psychological health among community-dwelling older adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Objectives: To synthesise and critically appraise the quality of existing evidence about the effects of yoga on physical and psychological outcomes among older adults. Design: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Participants: Participants aged 60 and above. Measurements: Nine English and two Chinese electronic bibliographic databases, including MEDLINE OvidSP, PsycINFO, AMED, EMBASE, Global Health, PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, Hyread and WanFang databases, were searched. Randomised controlled trials (RCT) of yoga on physical and psychological outcomes among older adults were included. Meta-analysis was conducted for outcomes studied in three or more studies, otherwise narrative synthesis was performed. Results: Fifteen studies were included for review. The results of meta-analysis after sensitivity analysis showed that yoga significantly improved balance (SMD = 0.81, 95% CI: 0.48–1.14, p