Effect Of Yoga and Intermittent Fasting on The Health-Related Quality of Life (Sf-12) Among Naturopathy Covid Duty Doctors- A Self-Reported Questionnaire Study

Abstract

Introduction: The assessment of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) becomes imperative as it monitors the health status of the population over a period of time and aids in comparison of the impact of altered health conditions and to identify such differences in health status amongst different social categories. The present study was carried out to assess the HRQoL among Naturopathy COVID duty doctors working across different centers in India using the SF 12 questionnaire and the factors which affect the different domains of good health who practiced Nature cure remedies (fasting and regular Yoga).

Material and methods: A cross sectional study was carried out among Naturopathy COVID duty doctors using an online google form with SF 12 questionnaire. A total of 212 Naturopaths participated in the survey. Pearson’s correlation was done between the demographic data, fasting and Yoga practices along with the SF 12 questionnaire.

Results: Among the total 212 respondents; 72(34.0%) were males and 140(66.0%) were females. Around 15.6% practiced Yoga for less than 3 times a week. Only 1.9% did not perform Yoga at all since their COVID duties. Fasting as a means of regular prevention to avoid COVID was practiced by 53.3% of the study participants. Significantly more cases with 5-10 years of work experience practice fasting meticulously (60/212) as compared to the others. All the 31 positive cases performed Yoga for >3times/week. Of the total 212; 162(76.4%) of them took some form of AYUSH prophylaxis for COVID. There was a strong positive correlation between practices of fasting/YOGA with absence of COVID infection and also with the SF 12 parameters among the present study participants.

Conclusion: A Nature cure regimen module in the present economic and health care scarcity is the need of the hour which should be implemented as the first stage of prevention.