The Essential Properties of Yoga Questionnaire (EPYQ): Psychometric Properties.
International Journal of Yoga Therapy November 1, 2018 Crystal L Park, A Rani Elwy, Meghan Maiya et al.
Yoga interventions vary across multiple dimensions that may influence health outcomes through different mechanisms, yet most studies fail to adequately describe these components. To address this, the Essential Properties of Yoga Questionnaire (EPYQ) was developed to characterize interventions. Reliability and validity data from the final phases of the project identified fourteen key dimensions: acceptance/compassion, bandhas, body awareness, breathwork, instructor mention of health benefits, individual attention, meditation and mindfulness, mental and emotional awareness, physicality, active postures, restorative postures, social aspects, spirituality, and yoga philosophy. The EPYQ demonstrated good internal consistency and test-retest reliability, and evidence supports its validity. Currently, trained objective raters should score interventions to avoid bias, but alternative approaches may be developed. The measure enables linking specific yoga dimensions to health outcomes and optimizing intervention design.