Designing a group yoga class for adults with aphasia: “From the minute you walk in… it is communicatively accessible”

ABSTRACT

Background

Participation in physical and recreational activities is recommended for the long-term health and well-being of adults post-stroke. Yoga is associated with a number of physical and psychosocial benefits for older adults, as well as reductions in anxiety and depression in the post-stroke population. Stroke survivors with aphasia, however, face many challenges when participating in recreational activities which rely heavily on language, such as a group yoga class, and to date, research in this area has been limited.

Aims

The aims of this study were to: 1) explore the barriers that may hinder group yoga class participation for adults with aphasia post-stroke; and 2) explore the facilitators that may support group yoga class participation for adults with aphasia post-stroke.

Method

The study used a qualitative description research approach, underpinned by the interpretivist paradigm. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 participants who had both experience with aphasia and experience or interest in yoga: four people with aphasia post-stroke, four allied health professionals, and four yoga instructors. Verbatim transcripts were analysed using qualitative content analysis. Triangulation, peer debriefing, and member checking were used to enhance the rigour of the investigation.

Results

The participants identified 54 barriers and 61 facilitators in relation to eight categories: yoga class development, information, venue and transportation, scheduling, registration, yoga staff and other students, yoga class composition and content, and communication during and after yoga classes.

Conclusion

Improving the accessibility of physical and recreational activities for people with aphasia post-stroke requires that communication barriers, in addition to any physical barriers, be addressed. The findings from the current investigation can be used to inform the future development of more communicatively accessible group yoga classes for adults with aphasia post-stroke. The results may also be relevant for informing the development of other physical and recreational group activities for people with aphasia.

KEYWORDS:

• Aphasia
• Stroke
• Yoga
• Accessibility
• Recreation

Geolocation information

This research was completed in Vancouver, Canada.

Acknowledgements

We would like to acknowledge Eavan Sinden’s contribution to the first author’s master’s thesis committee. We would also like to acknowledge the participants who took part in the study.

Disclosure statement

Portions of this manuscript were submitted as an unpublished thesis by the first author in partial fulfillment of the requirement for a Master of Science in Speech Language Pathology at The University of British Columbia. A preliminary report on this study was presented at the 2018 International Aphasia Rehabilitation Conference in Aveiro, Portugal (Ross, K., Howe, T., Jenstad, L., & Sinden, E., 2018). The first author was awarded a Tavistock Trust Student Aphasia Prize for this research. The authors have no other conflicts of interest to declare.