Determination of stressed pregnants experiences about yoga in stress management

Aim: This research was designed in order to determine the experiences of stressed pregnant women of doing yoga for stress management and the effect of yoga on stress perception. In the research, it was aimed at synchronously evaluating the effects of yoga intervention on stress perception and determining the experiences of pregnant women of stress management before and after yoga intervention through interviews after their stress levels were scored on Visual Analog Scale (VAS). Materials and Method: The research was carried out using mixed method to determine the experiences of stressed pregnant women of doing yoga for stress management and the effects of yoga on stress perception. The sample size consisted of pregnant women who were literate, between 19-35 ages, in the week of 12th-28th pregnancy, primipara, and whose stress perception scores were 5 and over on VAS. These women applied to Ege University Medical Faculty Hospital Obstetry and Gynecology Polyclinic and T.R. Ministry of Health İzmir Katip Çelebi University Atatürk Training and Research Hospital Obstetry and Gynecology Polyclinic for antenatal visit between December 1, 2015 and June 3, 2016. In the research, the Survey for Determining the Experiences of Stressed Pregnant Women of Doing Yoga for Stress Management, VAS, and semi-structured interviews were used in order to gather data. Statistical and Power Analysis Size Software 2005 was used to determine the sample size for quantitative data, the power of the research was found 100%. As for qualitative data, 21 pregnant women were interviewed in the first interview, and 15 pregnant women were interviewed in the second interview. Pregnant women in the yoga intervention group were taught the techniques of focusing, breath, posture, and relaxation for 60 minutes twice a week, for four weeks to reduce their stress perception. Three measurements were performed: at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end of yoga intervention. The pregnant women in the control group were not intervened. Three measurements were performed on them as well: first interview in the polyclinic, an interview two weeks after the first one and two weeks after the second one. SPSS 16.0 was used in quantitative data analysis. The descriptive features of the pregnant women in the yoga intervention and control groups were shown with percentage distributions, and mean values with standard errors. In the research, Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare VAS stress perception mean scores of the yoga intervention and control groups; Wilcoxon signed rank test to compare the difference between VAS stress perception mean scores, Friedman Analysis of Variance Test to compare in-group VAS stress perception mean scores, Kruskall Wallis Variance Analysis to compare independent variables and VAS stress perception mean scores of the yoga intervention and control groups. The correlation between VAS stress perception mean scores of yoga intervention and control groups and independent variables was determined through Spearman rank correlation. p-value was <0.05. As for qualitative data analysis, NVIVO 11.0 plus statistics program was used to code the data, discover the themes, analyze the data quantitatively, and present the findings visually. Categories were created by analyzing responses line-by-line systematically in the light of inductive approach. After the completion of coding, tables, graphics, maps, and models were formed. Findings: The difference among the first, second, and third VAS stress perception mean scores of the pregnant women in the yoga intervention and control groups was found statistically significant (p=0.000). The differences among the first, second, and third in-group VAS stress perception mean scores of the yoga intervention and control groups were found statistically significant (p=0.000). Similarly, a statistically significant difference was found between the second and third VAS stress perception mean scores. Before yoga intervention, it was determined that stress was categorized under four themes by the pregnant women: physical, psycho-social, personal, and social. After the intervention, the sub-themes of physical effects and mental effects were formed under the main theme of the effects of yoga. While describing the physical effects of yoga, the women mostly used the expression relaxing, and they mostly described the mental effect of yoga as trying to be positive. They mostly used the expression decrease in stress perception to describe stress after the intervention. Result: After yoga intervention, stress perception of the pregnant women decreased significantly. It was determined that the pregnant women had a healthy and pleasant pregnancy. According to the results of this research, it is thought that yoga is an important intervention for stressed pregnant women and getting ready for a healthy delivery. Based on the results of this research that yoga improves woman health generally, and decreases stress of pregnant women specifically.