ISSN: 2320-5407 Int. J. Adv. Res.

10(07), 268-272

Journal Homepage: - www.journalijar.com

Article DOI: 10.21474/IJAR01/15028

DOI URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.21474/IJAR01/15028

RESEARCH ARTICLE
A STUDY OF SHORT TERM EFFECT OF YOGA, PRANAYAMA AND DHYANA ON ANXIETY SCORE
AMONG MEDICAL STUDENTS

Dr. Mohammed Nazia Farha1, Dr. M.P. Sultana2 and Dr. S. Subhadra3
1. Assistant Professor of physiology, S.V. Medical College, Tirupati.
2. Assistant Professor of Anatomy, Siddharatha Medical College, Vijayawada.
3. Assistant Professor of Physiology, S.V. Medical College, Tirupati.
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Manuscript Info Abstract
……………………. ………………………………………………………………
Manuscript History Medical student is in a new state of challenging and stressful
Received: 15 May 2022 environment. Beyond certain levels, however, continuous exposure to
Final Accepted: 18 June 2022 stress may negatively impact their physical and mental health. Yoga is
Published: July 2022 an ancient science and art of exercise, associated with a set of practices
which are made to promote the health and well-being through the
Key words:-
Yoga, Stress, SpielbergerState‑ Trait integration of the body, breath, and the mind and at spiritual level yoga
Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and Perceived creates happiness and peace with oneself. The following study was
Stress Scale (PSS) Questionnaires conducted in1st MBBS students of ACSR Government medical college
to study the effects of short term yoga on anxiety score. Feedback in
the form of proformawas takenfrom thestudents to know their attitude
towards yoga and how it had been benefited them.60 students of First
MBBS with in the age group of 17-19 yrs were voluntarily participated
in this study. The students recruited for the study underwentthe
following program for 1 hour, daily for 8weeks. The sessions included
Yogasanas 40 min , Pranayama 15 min andDhyana 10 min. Data were
collected using sociodemographic status that includes name, age,
religion, level of education, address and two self
reportedquestionnaires.Anxiety and stress were measured using
Spielberger State‑ Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and Perceived
Stress Scale (PSS) questionnaires, respectively. The mean PSS scores
and STAI of the participants after intervention was reduced and were
are statistically significant.

Copy Right, IJAR, 2022,. All rights reserved.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………....
Introduction:-
On enteringinto the professional colleges the studentis in a new state of challenging and stressfulenvironment.
Beyond certain levels, however, continuous exposure to stressmay negatively impact their physical and mental
health1.

Factors contributing to high stress levels in professional colleges could behighly competitive curriculum, intense
academic competition. Possibly these and many more factors contribute to high levels of stress in medical students.
With the above facts in mind the relevance of yoga in medical education was evaluated 2.

Corresponding Author:- Dr. Mohammed Nazia Farha

Address:- Assistant Professor of Physiology, S.V. Medical College, Tirupati -517507 268
Tirupati (DST) Andhra Pradesh India.
ISSN: 2320-5407 Int. J. Adv. Res. 10(07), 268-272

Yoga is an ancient science and an art of exercise which is associated with a set of principles and practices, designed
to promote the health and well-being through the integration of the body, breath, and the mind. Although yoga has
been practiced for over 5000 years, it has only newly gained popularity worldwide. The drill originated in India and
has been applied to relieve both mental and physical infirmities, for it incorporates postures, breathing techniques,
and meditation3,4.

In the ancient system yogic practices like Suryanamaskara, Pranayama, meditation were introduced with the formal
education to enable the development of good physique, strong ethical values and good stress tolerance 5.A state of
mental tranquility is achieved by the practice of yoga as revealed by increase in alpha index of eletroencephalogram
after short term yoga . Yoga can protect the individual by bringing harmony between mind and body, modulating
stress responses and one's attitude to stress as also improving mental faculties such as attention, memory, learning
efficiency and positive attitude to life6.7

Mind body interventions are increasingly being used in the general population to assist with stress reduction. Mental
silence-oriented meditation has been shown to be a safe and effective strategy for dealing with work stress and
depressive feelings in full time workers8.

Psychological stress and yoga are believed to be reciprocally related. Stress induces imbalance of the autonomic
nervous system with decreased activity of the parasympathetic nervous system and increased activity of the
sympathetic nervous system. Autonomic imbalance is closely associated with anxiety. Scientific evidence supports
the belief that yoga benefits physical and mental health via down‑ regulation of the
hypothalamic‑ pituitary‑ adrenal axis and the sympathetic nervous system9.

At spiritual level yoga creates happinessand peace from within oneself. The following study was conducted in 1st
MBBS students of ACSR Government Medical college, Nellore to study the effects of short term yoga on anxiety
score at the time of exams. Feedback was taken in the form of proforma was taken fromthe students to know their
attitude towards yoga and how it had been benefited them.

Aims and Objectives:-

To assess the levels of stress and anxiety though Perceived Stress Scale[PSS] and State and Trait Anxiety score
[STAI] before and after 8weeks of regular practice of Integrated Yoga Module among 1st year Medical Students of
Government medical college, Nellore10.

Methods:-
60 students of First MBBS with in the age group of 17-19 yrs voluntarily participated in the study. None of them
was suffering from any major medical or psychiatric illness and not aware of any yogic practices. Students
learnedbreathing and meditation exercises and participated in an hour-long yoga session.

The students underthe study were underwent the following program for 1 hour, daily for 8weeks. The sessions
included Yogasanas 40 min Pranayama 15 min and Dhyana 10 min11.

The various asanaswere chosen to improve their concentration, coordination, memory, and attitudinal behaviour 12.

Data were collected using sociodemographic data that includes name, age, religion, level of education, and address
and two self reported questionnaires.

Anxiety and stress were measured using Spielberger State‑ Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and Perceived Stress
Scale (PSS) questionnaires, respectively13.

PSS[ 40 item] and STAI [includes State score 20 items and Trait score 20 items] questionnaires were administered
before and after sessions, conducted for 8 weeks daily.

State anxiety
State anxiety was measured using a sub-scale of the Spielberger’s State-Trait Anxiety Inventory which has 20 items
to assess state anxiety or anxiety at the moment of testing . Participants selected the number that best described the

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intensity of their feelings at the moment of testing, where “1” was “not at all”, “2” was “somewhat”, “3” was
“moderately”, and “4” was “very much so”. Each STAI-S item was given a weighted score of 1 to 4. Higher scores
are positively correlated with a higher anxiety level14.

All questionnaires were blindly scored by 2 evaluators. Data were scored and the group mean values ±SD were
calculated before and after the yoga sessions. Raw scores of PSS, STAI converted to scaled scores.Paired T test was
used to analyse the statistical significance.

Results:-
Graph 1:- Mean scores of PSS, STAI and TRAIT before and after intervention of yoga, pranayama and dhyana.

80 74 71

70

60 55

50 45

Before
40 32.5
After
30 22.45

20

10

0
PSS score STAI score TRAIT score

Table 1:- Mean, SD , t , df and p values of different variables before and after intervention of yoga, pranayama and
dhyana.
Variables Mean SD t df P value
PSS score 1.5 0.73 11.23 29 0.000
before and after
STAI score 0.66 0.884 4.13 29 0.000
before and after
TRAIT 0.033 0.61 0.3 29 0.778
before and after

The mean PSS scores of the participants after interventionwas reduced from 32.5 to 22.45 which was
statisticallysignificant.The mean State score was reduced 55 to 45 after the intervention which was statistically
significant.The mean trait score changed from 74 to 71 which was not statistically significant.

Discussion:-
Stress is a multifaceted condition with varied repercussions. It results in psychological problems resulting in
deterioration of academic performance.

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The findings of this study reveal that the students who experienced yoga module showed a significant reduction in
their academic anxiety level. The results are in tune with the earlier studies, which found that meditation, practiced
over long periods, produces definite changes in perception, attention, and cognition.

Our study showed that eight weeks of yoga including physical postures, breathing exercises, and meditation may be
effective in reducing stress levels and improving aspects of personal wellbeing in medical students.

Paired 𝑡-tests showed a statistically significant reduction in perceived stress after the eight-week intervention.
Similar results have been reported. A study done by Lona Prasad et al. showsdecreased stress scores after six week
integrated yoga practice15.

Yoga through its techniques of meditation, asanas, and pranayama yields a positive effect in the management of
stress in adolescents. This improvement was believed to be due to improved eye–hand coordination, attention,
concentration, and relaxation.

A kind of by AmitKauts, Neelam Sharmastudy reveal that the students who experienced yoga module performed
better in overall academics as well as in their separate subjects than those students who did not experience yoga
module16.

The administration of integrated yoga module has different benefits. In our study, we found that there were benefits
with asanas and yoga in decreasing anxiety and frustration scores. These benefits were better if practised as an
integrated yoga module. Similar results showed in the studu done by S Parthasarathyet al. in 1 st MBBS students
found to reduce the stress scores after integrated yoga practice17. The study done by SumitraSudharkodhy et al.
evaluate the Anxiety and stress were measured using Spielberger State‑ Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and
Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) questionnaires, respectively and showsthat shows that during anxiety there is increased
activity toward sympathetic, but no difference in parasympathetic activity and during perceived stress.

At physical level regular practice of asanas, pranayama bestows a proportionate, flexible, normally relaxed body
with an ability to withstand stress efficiently. At intellectual level yoga can sharpen memory, concentration,
decrease anxiety levels. At spiritual level yoga creates an awareness to look for happiness from within oneself and to
be at peace with oneself. Similar results found in the study done by A. MALATHI et al. revealed a definite reduction
in the anxiety score following integrated yoga module2.18.

Conclusion:-
A statistically significant improvement is found in PSSscores and STAI score after the intervention. Integrated Yoga
Module is useful in stressreduction hence ,can be incorporated in the new CBME .

Limitations:
Sample Size is Small.

Acknowledgements:-
I am deeply thankful to my Mentors,ACMEbatchmates, colleagues and to all my students for their participation in
the study.

References:-
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