PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of a Yoga program on decreasing blood pressure in elderly patients with essential hypertension and to suggest a yoga program effective as a nursing intervention tool to reduced blood pressure with increasing life satisfaction. METHOD: The subjects of this study were 24 elderly's essential hypertension, who practiced yoga by three times a week for 8 weeks. In order to evaluate the effect of the yoga program, blood pressure, physiological parameters (Total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, triglycerides) and level of life satisfaction were measured before and after the training. Collected date were analyzed by SPSSWIN program. RESULT: 1) There were significant reduction in systolic and diastolic blood pressure. 2) There were significant reductions in total cholesterol, LDL, triglycerides but no significant increased in HDL. 3) Blood pressure changes were time specific: Both of systolic and diastolic blood pressures were significantly reduced after 2weeks. 4) There was a significant increase in life satisfaction. CONCLUSION: The results proved that a yoga program was an effective nursing intervention to reduce blood pressure and to increased life satisfaction for elderly patients with essential hypertension.
The purpose of this study was to identify the effects of a Yoga-focused prenatal program on the stress, anxiety, self confidence and labor pain of pregnant women who had in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment.
A quasi experimental study with a non-equivalent control group pretest-posttest design was used. The data collection period and meditation program were between January 9 and August 31, 2009. Forty-six women who were pregnant following IVF, and were between 12-20 weeks gestation, participated in the study (23 experimental group, 23 control group). Data were analyzed using Chi-square test, Mann-Whitney U Test, ANCOVA, and Cronbach's alpha coefficients with the SPSS 12.0 for Windows Program.
Although the sample size was limited, women who participated in the program showed statistically significant improvements in stress, anxiety, labor pain, and labor confidence for women pregnant after IVF.
The result indicate that this 12-week Yoga-focused educational program can be utilized for women pregnant following IVF to reduce their stress, anxiety, and labor pain, and to increase delivery confidence. It is suggested that the Yoga-focused educational program be offered to every pregnant woman.