Acute effect of a short yoga session on the stress level in schoolchildren

Abstract

The present study aimed to determine the acute effect of a yoga session on the level of stress in schoolchildren. Twenty-one Chilean schoolchildren aged 11.62 ± 0.50 years participated, being divided into two groups (Experimental Group [EG] = 8; Control Group [CG] = 13). A 25-minutes yoga session in the experimental group was applied whereas the control group participated in a sedentary theoretical class. The stress level was measured before and after the intervention using the Children's Daily Stress Inventory Test (IECI). The Shapiro Wilk test was performed to determine the normality of the data. A t-test for paired samples was used to compare the effects of the session before and after the intervention in each group. Likewise, a t-test for independent samples was performed to compare the effects between the experimental and control group. Then, the effect size was calculated by Cohen's d. Lastly, the significance level was set at p<0.05. The results showed a decrease in total daily stress level with a moderate effect in the experimental group after the intervention (Pre=16,25 ± 3,05; Post= 10,75 ± 4,74; p=0,005; TE= 0,57), while in the control group no significant effect was found after intervention (Pre=13.46 ± 5.57; Post=13,3 ± 5,55; p=0,337; TE=0,10). It is concluded that a short yoga session can provide a decrease of stress levels in schoolchildren.