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Research: CHATTHA and COLLEAGUES,
Listed in Issue 162
Abstract
CHATTHA and COLLEAGUES, Swami Vivekananda Yoga Research Foundation, Bangalore, India. chattha.ritu@yahoo.com studied the effect of yoga on the climacteric symptoms, perceived stress, and personality in perimenopausal women.
Background
Methodology
One hundred twenty participants (ages 40-55 y) were randomly divided into two study arms, ie, yoga and control. The yoga group practised an integrated approach to yoga therapy comprising surya namaskara (sun salutation) with 12 postures, pranayama (breathing practices), and avartan dhyan (cyclic meditation), whereas the control group practiced a set of simple physical exercises under supervision of trained teachers for 8 weeks (1 h daily, 5 days per week). The assessments were made by Greene Climacteric Scale, Perceived Stress Scale, and Eysenck's Personality Inventory before and after the intervention.
Results
Of the three factors of the Greene Climacteric Scale, the Mann-Whitney test showed a significant difference between groups (P < 0.05) in the vasomotor symptoms, a marginally significant difference (P = 0.06) in psychological factors, but not in the somatic component. Effect sizes were higher in the yoga group for all factors. There was a significantly greater degree of decrease in Perceived Stress Scale scores (P < 0.001, independent samples t test) in the yoga group compared with controls (between-group analysis), with a higher effect size in the yoga group (1.10) than the control (0.27). On the Eysenck's Personality Inventory, the decrease in neuroticism was greater (P < 0.05) in the yoga group (effect size = 0.43) than the control group (effect size = 0.21), with no change in extroversion in either the yoga or control group.
Conclusion
Eight weeks of an integrated approach to yoga therapy decreases climacteric symptoms, perceived stress, and neuroticism in perimenopausal women better than physical exercise.
References
Chattha R, Raghuram N, Venkatram P and Hongasandra NR. Treating the climacteric symptoms in Indian women with an integrated approach to yoga therapy: a randomized control study.[see comment]. Menopause. 15(5):862-70, Sep-Oct 2008. Comment in: Menopause. 15(5):827-9. Sep-Oct 2008. PMID: 18617867.
