Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of Yoga in Rural and Urban India, KAPY 2017: A Nationwide Cluster Sample Survey

<b>Background:</b> To examine the knowledge, attitudes, and practice gap of yoga across India based on implicit perceptions. <b>Methods:</b> The present study is a nationwide door-to-door survey conducted using a questionnaire/screening form. The data were collected from a national survey conducted under the <i>Niyantrit Madhumeh Bharat</i> (NMB) program initiated by The Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha, Homeopathy (AYUSH), Government of India, from all major zones of the country. A total of 162,330 participants who joined the NMB program were recruited in our study. Results: Out of the total respondents to the survey, it was observed that 11.8% [13,336/112,735] practice yoga, which was highest in the north zone [4,567/112,735] and lowest in the east zone [971/112,735]. Out of 101,643 respondents, 94,135 of the individuals who participated in the survey believed that yoga improved their lifestyle, and 90,102/98,518 believed that yoga prevented diabetes, revealing a huge knowledge&#8722;practice gap. <b>Conclusions:</b> The scale of the knowledge&#8722;practice gap coupled with the general acceptability of yoga calls for a change in the conventional healthcare provisions by its integration with modern medicine. The population-wide positive perceptions about yoga as a preventive health tool can not only catalyze consensus disease-specific yoga modules but also bridge the knowledge&#8722;practice gap that exists because of limited yoga centers and professionals.