 | The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
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| The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
Manoj Sharma, PhD, School of HPER, University of Nebraska at Omaha & Walden University, 6001 Dodge Street, Omaha, NE 68182-0216, 402-554-3245, msharma@mail.unomaha.edu
Systematic practice of Yoga, an ancient Hindu practice for striking balance in life, is gaining popularity in the United States. Scientific evidence ranging from descriptive, analytical, and randomized controlled trials has indicated potential applications of yoga for health promotion, stress reduction, management of several chronic diseases, and rehabilitation. Number of people experiment with yoga-related behaviors. However, very few practitioners are able to sustain regular practice. In the absence of such regularity the health benefits remain elusive. With its growing number of users, online or Internet based learning can serve an important role in reinforcing messages and provide ongoing support that can assist in sustenance of behavior change. However, at present only a handful of such online courses are being offered in this area worldwide. The presentation describes a web-based yoga course that uses Social Cognitive Theory as the framework for sustaining behavior change. The constructs of behavioral capability, expectations, self-efficacy and self-control have been reified in this Internet-based intervention. The course authoring and management has been done on Black Board that utilizes an integrated learning environment. This web-based course is designed to strengthen and enhance the skills and behaviors learned during the initial ‘face-to-face’ training. The course is envisaged to enrich the yoga experience beyond the classroom setting. The course proposal and prototype have been evaluated and validated by a group of fifteen higher education professionals completing an online course.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Alternative Medicine/Therapies, Internet
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.