{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,30]],"date-time":"2026-06-30T17:47:39Z","timestamp":1782841659626,"version":"3.54.5"},"reference-count":45,"publisher":"JMIR Publications Inc.","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JMIR Res Protoc"],"abstract":"Abstract<\/jats:title>\n \n Background<\/jats:title>\n Leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) is a well-established contributor to physical, psychological, and social well-being worldwide. Human touch also plays a vital role in life course health, yet opportunities for safe, consensual touch are often limited, particularly in LTPA settings. For gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (GBTQ) men, barriers to affirming LTPA spaces can make it particularly difficult to access such benefits. In response, community-based approaches that integrate touch are needed, alongside systematic evaluations of such strategies. \u201cThe Studio\u201d (pseudonym), a membership-based wellness community, addresses this gap by offering touch-centered partner yoga and bodywork programs designed to support the holistic health of GBTQ men.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Objective<\/jats:title>\n This protocol describes a mixed methods evaluation of the Studio\u2019s touch-based yoga programming in New York City. The primary aim is to assess the feasibility and acceptability of implementing a touch-centered partner yoga program within a GBTQ community wellness setting. Secondary aims include exploring preliminary physical, emotional, and social outcomes associated with participation, including flexibility, stress, body awareness, social connection, trust, and belonging.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Methods<\/jats:title>\n The evaluation uses a pre- and posttest mixed methods design. A total of 40\u201050 participants will be recruited from new Studio members. Quantitative measures will include flexibility (sit-and-reach and goniometry), stress (Perceived Stress Scale), body awareness (Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness), and resilience (Brief Resilience Scale). Social network analysis will map participant connections before and after program participation. Qualitative data will be collected through semistructured interviews with 15\u201020 participants, or until saturation is reached, focusing on comfort with touch, emotional regulation, and experiences of community connectedness. Survey and interview guides will be codeveloped with a community advisory group to ensure cultural responsiveness and relevance. Findings will be integrated using triangulation methods to explore convergence across data sources.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Results<\/jats:title>\n As of March 2026, this study has not yet begun. Institutional Review Board submission is planned for September 2026. Afterward, study instruments will be finalized and pilot-tested with Studio teachers. Participant recruitment is projected to begin in July 2027, and data collection will include 3 time points (baseline, postintervention, and 4\u20106 wk follow-up). Data analysis and dissemination of findings are expected in 2028. Preliminary pilot testing of the survey instruments with Studio employees and community advisory group members will indicate feasibility and cultural fit.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n This evaluation will be among the first to systematically examine touch-focused partner yoga for GBTQ men in a community wellness setting. Findings are expected to provide novel insights into the feasibility and the role of intentional touch in LTPA spaces, support trauma-informed and inclusive wellness practices, and contribute to broader discourse on GBTQ health promotion and intervention. Results will be disseminated to the Studio employees, members, and GBTQ-focused wellness organizations, as well as through peer-reviewed publications and conferences.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.2196\/86310","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,25]],"date-time":"2026-03-25T20:50:07Z","timestamp":1774471807000},"page":"e86310-e86310","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Touch-Based Partner Yoga for Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Men in a Community Wellness Setting: Protocol for a Mixed Methods Program Evaluation of \u201cThe Studio\u201d"],"prefix":"10.2196","volume":"15","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0001-5604-9298","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jesse","family":"Strunk Elkins","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3609-442X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Travis R","family":"Scheadler","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9285-5430","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Pasquale E","family":"Rummo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1010","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,29]]},"reference":[{"issue":"6","key":"R1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"959","DOI":"10.1001\/jamainternmed.2015.0533","article-title":"Leisure time physical activity and mortality","volume":"175","author":"Arem","journal-title":"JAMA Intern Med"},{"issue":"9","key":"R2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"739","DOI":"10.1016\/S2215-0366(18)30227-X","article-title":"Association between physical exercise and mental health in 1\u00b72 million individuals in the USA between 2011 and 2015: a cross-sectional study","volume":"5","author":"Chekroud","journal-title":"Lancet Psychiatry"},{"issue":"3","key":"R3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"228","DOI":"10.1177\/1088868316650307","article-title":"Affectionate touch to promote relational, psychological, and physical well-being in adulthood: a theoretical model and review of the research","volume":"21","author":"Jakubiak","journal-title":"Pers Soc Psychol Rev"},{"issue":"10","key":"R4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0203522","article-title":"Receiving a hug is associated with the attenuation of negative mood that occurs on days with interpersonal conflict","volume":"13","author":"Murphy","journal-title":"PLOS ONE"},{"key":"R5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyt.2024.1390673","article-title":"Touch medicine: bridging the gap between recent insights from touch research and clinical medicine and its special significance for the treatment of affective disorders","volume":"15","author":"McGlone","journal-title":"Front Psychiatry"},{"issue":"3","key":"R6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"194","DOI":"10.1080\/10705500802222972","article-title":"The brief resilience scale: assessing the ability to bounce back","volume":"15","author":"Smith","journal-title":"Int J Behav Med"},{"key":"R7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.5888\/pcd19.210417","article-title":"Inequities in physical activity environments and leisure-time physical activity in rural communities","volume":"19","author":"Kegler","journal-title":"Prev Chronic Dis"},{"issue":"1","key":"R8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"100051","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ssaho.2020.100051","article-title":"It has touched us all: commentary on the social implications of touch during the COVID-19 pandemic","volume":"2","author":"Sigley","journal-title":"Social Sciences & Humanities Open"},{"issue":"3","key":"R9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"107935","DOI":"10.1016\/j.amepre.2025.107935","article-title":"Prevalence of loneliness states among the U.S. adult population: findings from the 2022 HINTS-6","volume":"70","author":"Albertorio-Diaz","journal-title":"Am J Prev Med"},{"issue":"24","key":"R10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"539","DOI":"10.15585\/mmwr.mm7324a1","article-title":"Loneliness, lack of social and emotional support, and mental health issues - United States, 2022","volume":"73","author":"Bruss","journal-title":"MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep"},{"issue":"1","key":"R11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"7","DOI":"10.1123\/jpah.2023-0519","article-title":"Reducing LGBTQ+ physical activity disparities through improved measurement and inclusion of sexual orientation in US national data sets","volume":"21","author":"Peterson","journal-title":"J Phys Act Health"},{"key":"R12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"White J Sep\u00falveda MJ Patterson CJ . 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