A mix methods evaluation of the effectiveness of a group-based prenatal yoga programme on perceived stress in pregnant women

Abstract Background Yoga is recommended as a behavioural self-management strategy for stress. However, the evidence of how it affects women's stress perception is not much studied. Hence the present study was taken to assess the perceived stress score and to explore the experiences of pregnant women of stress management before and after prenatal yoga programme according to Selye's General Adaptation Syndrome Theory. Methods This study was made using concurrent triangulation mixed method design. Quantitative part of the study was made pretest-posttest with control group experimental study, qualitative part of the study was made phenomenological method. Quantitative data were gathered from 31 pregnant women in both yoga and control groups. As for qualitative data, 21 and 15 pregnant women were interviewed in the first and second interviews, respectively. Pregnant Woman Description Form was used as a data collection tool; a visual analogue scale was used for measuring stress score; and the interviews were made through Semi-Structured Interview Form. The themes were determined according to the stages of Selye's General Adaptation Syndrome Theory. Thematic approach was used to assess the data. Results The difference among the first, second and third visual analogue scale stress perception mean scores of pregnant women in the prenatal yoga programme and control groups was statistically significant. The women mostly used the expressions relaxation, decrease in stress perception and learning to cope with stress to describe stress perception after prenatal yoga programme. All women told that their stress perception decreased, and they learned how to cope with stress in pregnancy. Discussion This study demonstrated yoga was acceptable to stressed pregnant women. There was a significant decrease in stress perception of pregnant women. The women had a chance to express the physical and mental effects of yoga on stress management.