Embodied earth kinship: interoceptive awareness and relational attachment personal factors predict nature connectedness in a structural model of nature connection.

Previous research has found that nature connectedness, an experiential close connection to nature with cognitive, affective and physical benefits, profoundly impacts individual wellbeing and subsequently increases pro-environmental behaviors. However, little is known about the personal and contextual factors that predict nature connectedness. Testing theory derived from a qualitative interpretative phenomenological analysis study, this research addresses the lacuna in the literature. A structural equation model analysis finds that interoceptive awareness significantly predicts nature connection, that secure attachment to nature significantly explains this relationship, and that these inter-related constructs predict both pro-environmental behavior and wellbeing. This revised model of nature connection indicates important antecedents for the human-nature bond, illuminating in particular that the interpersonal relational processes foundational for close bonding with humans also occur in bonding with nature. Structural equation modeling indicates that emotional awareness is the dimension of interoceptive awareness that most significantly predicts nature connection, suggesting that the more aware a person is of the connection between inner bodily sensations and emotions, the more likely they can bond with nature. Given that interoceptive awareness indicates a coherent relationship with the self, including effective communication between body, mind and feelings, this process is therefore implicated in the capacity for humans to bond with nature. In sum, this present research points to the efficacy of an embodied, secure attachment with nature to help close both the human-nature disconnection chasm, and the environmental value-action gap. Theoretical and methodological implications for research and policy are discussed.

Validation of the French version of the Body Awareness Questionnaire: toward a way to assess alexisomia.

Background: Awareness of one's own states is a particularly important part of cognition and emotion regulation. Recently, the concept of alexisomia has been used to refer to lack of awareness and expression of somatic sensations. Developing self-reported questionnaires to evaluate alexisomia represents a challenge for clinical psychology and medicine. In this context, we suggested to adapt the Body Awareness Questionnaire in French to measure alexisomia and its relation to alexithymia. In fact, we carried out a backtranslation and studied the validity of the construct in relation to proximal constructs around emotional awareness. Methods: For this study, 610 university students completed questionnaires measuring a three dimensions alexithymia concept [with The Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20)] or the five dimensions alexithymia concept [with The Bermond-Vorts Alexithymia Questionnaire (BVAQ-B)] and alexisomia (with the BAQ). Results: Confirmatory factor analyses showed that the BAQ can be envisaged through 4 factors as well as a unidimensional model to refer to alexisomia. We also found that body awareness was negatively related to scores of alexithymia. Conclusion: Results are discussed in light of the construct of alexisomia and its clinical implications in somatic as well as mental disorders. We suggest that the BAQ, which assesses interoception, can contribute, in part, to the assessment of alexisomia. Like alexithymia, this is a key concept to take into consideration when designing treatment and prevention programs.

WATSU (Water-Shiatsu) increases body awareness and improves pain and mood: A randomised controlled study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: WATSU (Water-Shiatsu) is a body-oriented therapy in warm-water pool with passive movements, massage and breathing techniques. The present study investigated the short-term effect of a single session of WATSU on body awareness. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In a randomized-controlled study 60 volunteers (18-65 years) were assigned to a 20-min intervention of WATSU or to a 20-min lecture on WATSU. Immediately before and after the intervention they had to answer questionnaires. Primary endpoint of the investigation was the change of the total score of the non-verbal Awareness Body Chart (ABC). Secondary endpoints were the changes of the scores of the 14 single body parts of the ABC, of the Visual Analogue Pain Scale, of a German self-perception questionnaire (KEKS) and changes in mood scored with a German questionnaire on mood (Bf-SR). To compare groups, Mann-Whitney U tests were used. RESULTS: The WATSU group had a significantly higher increase in the ABC total score in comparison to the lecture group (WATSU: 0.3 (IQR 0 - 0.8), lecture: 0.1 (IQR -0.2 - 0.2), p = 0.014). In the KEKS no group differences were seen. In WATSU a significantly stronger improvement of pain (Visual Analogue Pain Scale: WATSU: -15 (IQR -29 to -8), lecture: -4 (IQR -9 - 2), p < 0.001) and of mood (Bf-SR: WATSU: -6 (IQR -14 to -2), lecture: -1 (IQR -5 - 1), p = 0.003) could be observed. CONCLUSION: This study showed that WATSU immediately increases body awareness and improves pain and mood.

Interoceptive awareness in a Southeastern US college sample: validation of the multidimensional assessment of interoceptive awareness - version 2.

OBJECTIVE: The Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness, version 2 (MAIA-2) is a commonly utilized self-report instrument to assess individuals' ability to perceive bodily sensations. The MAIA-2 has displayed variable psychometric properties across samples. Thus, we examine the psychometric properties of the MAIA-2 in a Southeastern United States college sample. PARTICIPANTS: Our studies consisted of 710 (study 1) and 66 (study 2) college students. METHODS: Study 1 used a cross-sectional research design where we investigated the factor structure, and measurement invariance (e.g., measured similarly across genders). Study 2 examined the test-retest reliability across a three-week period. RESULTS: The MAIA-2 displayed adequate to good internal consistencies and factor loadings, strict invariance, and questionable temporal stability. CONCLUSION: The MAIA-2 demonstrates adequate psychometric properties in this college sample that were similar to the original MAIA sample characteristics. Contextual and cultural factors may influence the subjective experience of interpreting bodily sensations.

Body Aware: Adolescents' and Young Adults' Lived Experiences of Body Awareness.

Paying attention to body sensations has been associated with many positive outcomes such as increased subjective well-being, enhanced emotion regulation, and reduced symptom reports. Furthermore, body awareness has an important therapeutic utility in the treatment of various psychological ailments. Despite its importance in mental health, there is very little research on body awareness during adolescence and young adulthood - important developmental periods characterized by bodily changes and the development of one's relationship to one's body. Therefore, the present qualitative study sought to explore how body awareness is understood, experienced, and described by adolescents and young adults. Four online focus groups were conducted with young people between the ages of 14 and 24 (N = 20). Thematic analyses revealed a multidimensional and highly contextualized understanding and experience of body awareness in this age group. In general, young people reported mainly attending to intense and unpleasant body sensations with a particular attitude (e.g., accepting or avoidant) depending on the type of sensation, leading to a variety of cognitive, emotional, and behavioral reactions to these sensations. These processes were embedded in an underlying schema of beliefs about body awareness and an overarching physical and socio-cultural context. Results further revealed a more nuanced experience and understanding of body awareness in women and in young adults. The present findings can be used as a foundation for the development of body awareness theoretical frameworks and self-report instruments for youth and can aid the generating of hypotheses for future research on body awareness in this age group.

BODY AWARENESS, STRESS AND SYMPTOMS IN AUTONOMIC DYSFUNCTION IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC PAIN: AN EXPLORATIVE STUDY.

Objective: To assess pain outcomes, stress levels and body awareness among patients with chronic pain and explore potential associations between these variables. Design: An explorative study. Methods: Patients with chronic pain in primary and specialist care were assessed regarding pain intensity using the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS; 0-10 point scale) and stress levels using the Stress and Crisis Inventory (SCI-93; 0-140). To assess body awareness, multidimensional assessment of interoceptive awareness (MAIA; 0-5), a widely used self-report measure of interoceptive bodily awareness was used. Results: Participants (n = 42) reported an average NRS of 4.4, elevated stress levels and low body awareness. Stress levels were moderately correlated with pain intensity (r = 0.53; p < 0.001; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.25-0.72) and number of pain sites (r = 0.58; p < 0.001; 95% CI 0.32-0.76). The regression analysis showed that pain outcomes predicted stress level scores and explained almost 50% of variance (R 2 = 0.47, p < 0.001). Moreover, shorter pain duration predicted a higher body awareness (p = 0.04). Conclusion: In patients with chronic pain, high pain intensity and multiple painful sites seem to be associated with impaired stress regulation. The patients had low body awareness, which was negatively influenced by pain duration.

Pain Severity and Depressive Symptoms in Endometriosis Patients: Mediation of Negative Body Awareness and Interoceptive Self-Regulation.

Endometriosis-related pain may be associated with depressive symptoms. Although a growing body of evidence supports this association, the underlying mechanisms are still largely unclear. Impaired perceptions of bodily external and internal stimuli may be involved in this process. This study aims to assess the mediating role of 2 facets of interoception-the awareness of negative body signals and interoceptive self-regulation-in the association between pain severity and depressive symptoms among women with endometriosis. A total of 301 patients who reported a diagnosis of endometriosis were recruited from an endometriosis and chronic pelvic pain outpatient university clinic and through patient associations and completed self-reported instruments. A parallel mediation analysis was conducted. Almost half of women (48.2%) reported depressive symptoms above the self-rating scale cutoff values. Pain severity significantly predicted depressive symptoms (ß = .39, 95% bootstrap confidence interval [CI] [.719, 1.333]). Negative body awareness (ß = .121, 95% bootstrap CI [.174, .468]) and interoceptive self-regulation (ß = .05, 95% bootstrap CI [.035, .252]) partially mediated this relationship. Our findings indicated that pain may interfere with the perception of the body as a source of calmness and safety, limiting the individual's ability to effectively regulate emotions. Future research should further explore these mechanisms and evaluate the efficacy of interventions focusing on interoceptive sensibility to enhance the psychological well-being of endometriosis patients. PERSPECTIVE: This article investigates for the first time the potential role of 2 facets of interoceptive sensibility in the relationship between pain severity and depressive symptoms in women with endometriosis. These findings may contribute to advancing knowledge about the mechanisms involved in the complex pain-depression cycle.

Evaluation of upper limb perception after stroke with the new Affected Limb Perception Questionnaire (ALPQ): a study protocol.

BACKGROUND: Following a stroke, patients may suffer from alterations in the perception of their own body due to an acquired deficit in body representations. While such changes may impact their quality of life as well as recovery, they are not systematically assessed in clinical practice. This study aims at providing a better understanding of the rate, evolution, and impact on recovery of upper limb (UL) body perceptions (BPs) alterations following stroke. In addition, we will investigate associations among BPs alterations items, their associations with the sensorimotor functions, UL activity, damages in brain structure and connectivity. METHODS: We developed a new tool named ALPQ (for Affected Limb Perception Questionnaire) to address the present study objectives. It assesses subjective alterations in the perception of the affected UL following stroke, by measuring several dimensions, namely: anosognosia for hemiplegia, anosodiaphoria for hemiplegia, hemiasomatognosia, somatoparaphrenia, personification of the affected limb, illusion of modification of physical characteristics (temperature, weight, length), illusory movements, super- or undernumerary limb, UL disconnection, misoplegia, and involuntary movement. This study combines a cross-sectional and longitudinal design. The completed data sample will include a minimum of 60 acute and 100 sub-acute stroke patients. When possible, patients are followed up to the chronic stage. Complementary evaluations are administered to assess patients' sensorimotor and cognitive functions as well as UL activity, and brain lesions will be analysed. DISCUSSION: This study will provide a better understanding of BPs alterations following stroke: their rate and evolution, as well as their associations with sensorimotor deficit, cognitive profile and UL activity, brain lesions and recovery. Ultimately, the results could support the personalization of rehabilitation strategy according to patients' UL perception to maximize their recovery. STUDY REGISTRATION: The protocol for this study has been pre-registered on the Open Science Framework on July the 7th, 2021: https://osf.io/p6v7f .

Enhancing interoceptive sensibility through exteroceptive-interoceptive sensory substitution.

Exploring a novel approach to mental health technology, this study illuminates the intricate interplay between exteroception (the perception of the external world), and interoception (the perception of the internal world). Drawing on principles of sensory substitution, we investigated how interoceptive signals, particularly respiration, could be conveyed through exteroceptive modalities, namely vision and hearing. To this end, we developed a unique, immersive multisensory environment that translates respiratory signals in real-time into dynamic visual and auditory stimuli. The system was evaluated by employing a battery of various psychological assessments, with the findings indicating a significant increase in participants' interoceptive sensibility and an enhancement of the state of flow, signifying immersive and positive engagement with the experience. Furthermore, a correlation between these two variables emerged, revealing a bidirectional enhancement between the state of flow and interoceptive sensibility. Our research is the first to present a sensory substitution approach for substituting between interoceptive and exteroceptive senses, and specifically as a transformative method for mental health interventions, paving the way for future research.

Body Awareness as a Protective Factor against Suicidal Orientations in College Students.

In this study, binary logistic regression and linear regression analyses were used to examine the relationship between interoceptive body awareness and suicidal orientation among Colombian university students. Additionally, the bootstrap technique was employed to resample and estimate the distribution of the data. The results support the idea that greater interoceptive awareness may protect against suicidal orientation by improving emotional regulation. An inverse relationship was found between interoceptive awareness and suicidal ideation. These findings align with previous literature emphasizing the importance of body awareness for emotional well-being. Further longitudinal research is needed to explore this relationship more deeply.

Body awareness disturbances in patients with low back pain: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: The pain-neuroscience literature has recently emphasized body perception or awareness. Impaired body perception results have been reported in many different chronic pain problems. Studies have reported that individuals with low back pain (LBP) also have body perception disturbances related to the lumbar spine. OBJECTIVES: This review aimed to determine the evidence that body awareness alterations in individuals with LBP. DESIGN: Systematic review. METHOD: Studies were searched in PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Pedro databases up to January 2021. Each database was searched independently, according to a specific iteration research string. The protocol record of the systematic review was entered into the PROSPERO system. RESULTS: Nine studies were included in this research. We found evidence to support more perceptual impairments in patients with LBP than healthy counterparts. In addition, the results of the studies showed an association between disrupted body awareness and pain severity, pain catastrophizing, and disability. CONCLUSIONS: Body perception disturbances in LBP seem to be a promising path that needs to be further explored, with the ultimate goal of developing treatment contents targeting body awareness as a more comprehensive and valid evaluation and therapeutic method. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The registration number was CRD42021235934.

Can physiotherapy in an interdisciplinary pain rehabilitation setting improve physical function? A long-term mixed methods follow-up study.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to describe chronic pain patients' perception of their physical function and treatment factors for improving or maintaining physical function long-term after the completion of an Interdisciplinary Pain Rehabilitation Program (IPRP) and to compare physical function before, directly after and at long-term follow-up (16-20 months after treatment). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients with severe nonmalignant chronic pain, participating in an IPRP at a specialist clinic, were eligible for inclusion in a convergent mixed methods study. Quantitative data included aerobic capacity, level of physical activity (PA) and self-efficacy for exercise. Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews. RESULTS: The qualitative analysis resulted in one theme: Orientation change and two categories: Permission to feel self-worth and Reclaiming life, which illuminated factors that enabled a sustained increase in PA. The quantitative data (n = 11) showed a significantly increased maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) from 2.46 l/min (SD = 0.9) at baseline to 2.63 l/min (SD = 0.9, p = .03) on completion of the program. VO2max was sustained at long-term follow-up (2.56 l/min (SD = 1.0, p = .24). CONCLUSION: This study indicates that an orientation change process through an IPRP can lead to increased physical function and a sustainable level of PA. Furthermore, it highlights the importance of a person-centered approach to enable sustainable change in patients with chronic pain.

Interoceptive bodily awareness in patients seeking pain relief with osteopathic manipulative treatment: an observational cohort pilot study.

CONTEXT: Interoceptive bodily awareness (IBA) is one's attentional focus on and relationship with comfortable and uncomfortable (e.g., pain) internal body sensations. Integrating IBA into research on osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) is growing, both as an outcome and predictor of treatment outcomes; however, it has yet to be studied in a clinical setting. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to conduct a pilot study to measure IBA, with the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness (MAIA), in patients seeking OMT for pain, and to test if OMT exposure may be associated with higher IBA as measured by the MAIA. The primary outcome was the change in MAIA scores, and the secondary outcomes were reduction in pain intensity, reduction in pain interference, and increase in participants' perception of change post-OMT. METHODS: A convenience sample was recruited from individuals presenting for OMT appointments at a College of Osteopathic Medicine OMT teaching clinic. Participants were recruited into our single-arm observational cohort study (n=36), and categorized into one of two groups, OMT-naïve (n=19) or OMT-experienced (n=17), based on prior exposure to OMT. We measured MAIA scores and clinical pain-related outcomes prior to, immediately after, and at 1 and 3 weeks after a usual-care OMT session in the clinic. Covariates including experience with mind-body activities, non-OMT body work, and physical and emotional trauma were also collected to explore potential relationships. We utilized t tests to compare MAIA scores and pain outcomes between groups and across time points. Stepwise regression models were utilized to explore potential relationships with covariates. RESULTS: The OMT-experienced group scored higher on the MAIA scales "Not-worrying" (p=0.002) and "Trusting" (p=0.028) at baseline. There were no significant changes in the MAIA scores before and after the single OMT session. Analysis of secondary outcomes revealed that all pain outcomes significantly decreased post-OMT (p<0.05), with the largest relative improvements in the acute pain and OMT-naïve subgroups, with diminishing effects over time. CONCLUSIONS: Assessing IBA with MAIA in a clinical OMT setting is feasible. There were significant positive correlations between OMT exposure and two of the eight MAIA scales. Future studies are justified to further explore this relationship.

An Overview of the Bodily Awareness Representation and Interoception: Insights and Progress in the Field of Neurorehabilitation Research.

In the last two decades, the scientific literature on so-called body representations has been increasing, and the notion of body awareness (BA) is particularly interesting for neurorehabilitation. In this article, we present results derived from recent studies on this representation, considering the different definitions and explicative models proposed as well as the empirical settings used to test it, providing an extensive overview of these issues. This article discusses the challenge of understanding how we integrate the sensory experiences of proprioception (knowing where our body is in space) and interoception (sensing internal bodily sensations, like hunger of thirst) with our perception of self. This is a difficult problem to analyze because our awareness of our body is inherently linked to our perspective, since the body is the means through which we interact with the world. Presenting the different viewpoints offered by recent theories on this concern, we highlighted that the neurorehabilitation and psychiatric settings offer two important fields useful for the study of BA because in them it is possible to analyze bodily representations by inducing/observing a controlled discrepancy between dysfunctional content and sensory inputs.

The effect of anthropometric measurements and muscle endurance of the trunk and lower extremities on anatomic body awareness in healthy individuals with different levels of physical activity.

BACKGROUND: The interaction between anthropometric measurements and muscular endurance and how these factors manifest in anatomical body awareness have not yet been fully investigated. It was aimed to examine the relationship between physical activity, body anthropometric measurements and endurance and anatomical body awareness in healthy individuals. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 217 individuals aged 19-40 participated in the study. Participants were categorized into inactive (n = 65), minimally active (n = 80), and sufficiently active (n = 72) groups based on the international physical activity questionnaire (IPAQ). Anthropometric measurements including shoulder, abdomen, waist, and hip circumferences were taken. Participants' trunk muscle endurance and lower extremity endurance was assessed through various tests. Anatomic body awareness was evaluated using the Body Awareness Questionnaire (BAQ) with established validity. RESULTS: While no significant difference in shoulder circumference measurements was found between the inactive and minimally active groups (p > 0.05), the sufficiently active group showed significantly higher shoulder circumference measurements compared to the other groups (p < 0.05). Significant differences were observed among all endurance tests between the groups (p < 0.05). Participants' body endurance increased significantly with higher activity levels. Moreover, anatomic body awareness exhibited significant variation among the three groups (p < 0.05), with the sufficiently active group having the highest level of anatomic body awareness. Positive correlations were found between all endurance tests and anatomic body awareness (p < 0.05), as well as a positive correlation between physical activity levels and anatomic body awareness (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: It is suggested that physical performance and endurance increase anatomical body awareness when applied with appropriate treatment methods, can be applied for a healthier life and can be an additional application in the clinical environment.

Toward Development of a Novel Proprioceptive Trail-Making Test: Comparing Healthy Dancers and Non-Dancers.

There is a pressing need for ecologically valid versions of traditional neuropsychological tests indexing executive function (EF), such as the Trail-Making Task (TMT), that incorporate movement and bodily awareness in healthy participants with varying abilities. We designed a proprioceptive version of the TMT (pTMT) that involved coordinated gross motor movement and proprioceptive awareness to investigate whether this measure of visual attention, task switching, and working memory positively correlated with a computerized version of the TMT (the dTMT). We aimed to establish the initial validity of our proprioceptive TMT (pTMT) by comparing performances on the dTMT and pTMT among a cohort of 36 healthy participants (18 dancers, 18 non-dancers; M age = 22, SD = 5.27; 64% female) anticipating that dancers would express higher intrinsic bodily awareness than non-dancers. Results revealed a mild to moderate but statistically significant positive correlation between dTMT and pTMT completion times [part A: r (36) = .33, p = .04; part B: r (36) = .37, p = .03] and numbers of errors [part B: r (36) = .41, p = .01] across both participant groups. These data suggest partial measurement convergence between these two TMT versions. Relative to non-dancers, dancers exhibited a higher level of performance (likely due to their better proprioceptive ability) through their faster completion times on dTMT-B [t (34) = 3.81, p = .006, d = 1.27] and pTMT-B [t (34) = 2.97, p = .005, d = .99], and their fewer errors on dTMT-B [t (34) = 2.93, p = .006, d = 1.0]. By identifying cognitive differences between these different groups of healthy individuals, our data contribute to both a theoretical understanding and the initial development of gross motor movement-based cognitive assessments, providing a path toward the further refinement of an ecologically valid full-body TMT.

Effects of body awareness therapy on balance and fear of falling in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Assessment of extrapulmonary comorbidities is essential in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Deterioration of balance and increasing fear of falling are two of the most significant extrapulmonary manifestations. Although pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is well-known and effective for COPD patients, there is a need for alternative treatments to enhance balance and alleviate concerns about falling. This study aimed to investigate the effect of Body Awareness Therapy (BAT), in addition to the PR program, on balance and fear of falling in patients with COPD. METHODS: Forty-three patients were randomized into two groups: the BAT + PR group (BAT: once a week, 60 min + PR: 30 min, seven days of the week) or the PR group (PR: 30 min, seven days of the week) for eight weeks. Primary (balance, fear of falling) and secondary (dyspnea, muscle strength, functional capacity) outcomes were assessed at two different times: the baseline and end of the eight weeks. RESULTS: Significant improvements were found in dynamic balance (reaction time η2 = 0.777, movement velocity η2 = 0.789, endpoint excursion η2 = 0.687, maximal excursion η2 = 0.887), static balance on firm ground (eyes opened η2 = 0.679, eyes closed η2 = 0.705), dyspnea (η2 = 0.546), muscle strength (η2 = 0.803), and functional capacity (η2 = 0.859) of the BAT + PR group (p < 0.05 for all). The improvement in fear of falling was significantly greater in the BAT + PR group than in the PR group (p < 0.001, η2 = 0.331). CONCLUSION: The BAT method added to PR was more effective than PR alone in improving balance and reducing the fear of falling in COPD patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This randomized controlled study was registered at clinicaltrials.gov, NCT04212676 , Registered 28 December 2019.

Is it really on your hand? Spontaneous sensations are not peripheral sensations - Evidence from able-bodied individuals and a phantom limb syndrome patient.

Among other bodily signals, the perception of sensations arising spontaneously on the skin with no external triggers contributes to body awareness. The topic of spontaneous sensations (SPS) being quite recent in the literature, there is still a debate whether this phenomenon is elicited by peripheral cutaneous units' activity underlying tactile perception or originates directly from central mechanisms. In a first experiment, we figured that, if SPS depended on peripheral afferents, their perception on the glabrous hand should relate to the hand tactile sensitivity. On the contrary, we found no relationship at all, which led us to envisage the scenario of SPS in the absence of cutaneous units. In a second experiment, we present the case of Julie, a right-hand amputee that could perceive and report SPS arising on her phantom limb syndrome. We found that SPS distribution on the phantom limb followed the same gradient as that observed in control participants, unlike SPS perceived on the intact left hand. Those findings are crucial to the understanding of neural factors determining body awareness through SPS perception and provide insights into the existence of a precise neural gradient underlying somesthesis.

Embodied navigation: the influence of lived experience on physical activity and sedentary behavior among older adults.

PURPOSE: The impact of a sedentary lifestyle on health and well-being is well recognized. However, there is limited understanding of how a lifetime of physical activity and sedentary behaviour influences an active lifestyle in older adults. The aim of this study was to describe how lived experience of physical activity and sedentary behaviour impacts daily activities among older adults, from a life course perspective. METHODS: Qualitative content analysis was used; individual telephone interviews were conducted with fourteen older adults aged 71 to 92 years. The participants received initial support from community care and lived in ordinary housing in southern Sweden. RESULTS: The interviews yielded one theme, "Navigating with an embodied activity compass," and two sub-themes: "Being guided by the past" and "Unveiling pathways through body awareness." CONCLUSIONS: Our study highlights how older adults' lived experiences of physical activity, with their connections to body awareness and acceptance, impact daily physical activity. These findings offer new knowledge for clinical practitioners balancing recommendations of sedentary behaviour and physical activity, to promote healthy daily physical activity among older adults. Future research and policies should consider the lived experiences of older adults when addressing public health matters related to sedentary behaviour and physical activity.

The role of interoception in reducing trauma-associated distress: a feasibility study.

Background: Altered interoception plays an important role in chronic stress and posttraumatic stress disorder. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of a Trauma Sensitive Yoga (TSY) intervention for improving emotional distress and psychological discomfort in women living under circumstances of social and gender vulnerability. We assessed the effect of the treatment on the interoceptive mechanisms, and whether the psychological improvements were mediated by the changes in these mechanisms.Methods: The study involved a sample of 62 women who attended public community centres dedicated to supporting women victims of gender-based violence or who were socially and economically disadvantaged because of their gender. Participants underwent a six-week TSY programme. We evaluated dropout rate, adherence, and intervention satisfaction. We measured emotional distress, psychological discomfort, interoceptive mechanisms, and two nonequivalent dependent variables to enhance internal validity. We compared pre-post differences using paired samples t-test and a structural equation model (SEM) analysis was performed to compare the changes in the outcomes with the changes in the nonequivalent dependent variables. Mediation models were adjusted to evaluate the role of changes in interoception on outcome changes.Results: Fourteen (23%) women dropped out, mainly after the first intervention session. Intervention adherence (mean attendance 5.3 over 6 sessions) and acceptability were high (mean satisfaction 3.4 over 4). We observed post-intervention improvements in anxiety, depression, psychological discomfort, body responsiveness, and interoceptive awareness. The changes in the outcomes were larger than the changes in the nonequivalent dependent variables. Additionally, we found that the changes in body responsiveness partially mediated the change in anxiety and psychological discomfort but not in depression.Conclusions: TSY could be an interesting therapeutic approach for women experiencing chronic posttraumatic stress symptomatology. Our findings underscore the role of interoceptive mechanisms in traumatic stress and emphasize the importance of addressing these aspects.

A 6-week Trauma Sensitive Yoga programme is feasible and acceptable to address chronic and trauma-related stress in vulnerable women.The intervention reduces emotional distress and psychological discomfort and increases interoceptive awareness.Interoceptive mechanisms could play a crucial role in addressing stress-related symptoms, contributing to the overall positive outcomes.