Effects of Laughter Yoga on Premenstrual Symptoms.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to assess the effectiveness of laughter yoga in reducing premenstrual syndrome (PMS) symptoms in women.
Results Summary
The laughter yoga group showed significant reductions in multiple PMS symptoms, including depressive affection, anxiety, fatigue, irritability, depressive thoughts, pain, sleep changes, and bloating. Fatigue and pain scores were significantly lower in the laughter yoga group compared to the control group postintervention.
Population
80 female nursing and midwifery students with PMS at Marmara University, Istanbul, Turkey.
Effective Dosage
Twice-weekly 30-minute group sessions of laughter yoga and deep breathing.
Duration
The intervention lasted from February 2019 to May 2020 (approximately 15 months).
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
laughter yoga | decrease | PMSS subdimension depressive affection | female students with PMS | - | significantly decreased | #1 |
laughter yoga | decrease | PMSS subdimension anxiety | female students with PMS | - | significantly decreased | #2 |
laughter yoga | decrease | PMSS subdimension fatigue | female students with PMS | - | significantly decreased | #3 |
laughter yoga | decrease | PMSS subdimension irritability | female students with PMS | - | significantly decreased | #4 |
laughter yoga | decrease | PMSS subdimension depressive thoughts | female students with PMS | - | significantly decreased | #5 |
laughter yoga | decrease | PMSS subdimension pain | female students with PMS | - | significantly decreased | #6 |
laughter yoga | decrease | PMSS subdimension changes in sleep | female students with PMS | - | significantly decreased | #7 |
laughter yoga | decrease | PMSS subdimension bloating | female students with PMS | - | significantly decreased | #8 |
laughter yoga | decrease | fatigue | female students with PMS | - | significantly lower than those of the control group | #9 |
laughter yoga | decrease | pain | female students with PMS | - | significantly lower than those of the control group | #10 |
laughter yoga | decrease | PMS symptoms | - | - | reduce | #11 |
CONTEXT: Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is associated with a group of emotional, behavioral, and somatic symptoms that occur during the menstrual cycle. Laughter yoga involves a combination of laughter exercises and breathing techniques derived from more traditional yoga practice. No previous studies have examined the effects of laughter yoga on the symptoms of PMS. OBJECTIVE: The study intended to assess the effectiveness of laughter yoga in coping with the premenstrual symptoms of women. DESIGN: The research team performed a pretest and posttest, quasi-experimental study. SETTING: The study took place in the nursing and midwifery departments at Marmara University, a state university located in Istanbul, Turkey. PARTICIPANTS: Participants were 80 female students in those departments at the university between February 2019 and May 2020 who had PMS. INTERVENTION: The research team divided participants into two groups based on their departments: (1) an intervention group, the laughter yoga group, with 32 participants who took part in a twice-weekly laughter yoga program that included a weekly 30-min group session consisting of laughter and deep breathing, and (2) a control group with 48 participants. OUTCOME MEASURES: The research team collected the data using the Demographic and Descriptive Information Form (DDIF), Premenstrual Syndrome Symptom Scale (PMSS), and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). RESULTS: Between baseline and postintervention, the laughter yoga group's mean scores for the PMSS subdimensions depressive affection (P = .00), anxiety (P = .04), fatigue (P = .00), irritability (P = .01), depressive thoughts (P = .03), pain (P = .002), changes in sleep (P = .004), and bloating (P = .001) significantly decreased. The laughter yoga group's scores for fatigue (P = .03) and pain (P = .001) were significantly lower than those of the control group postintervention. CONCLUSIONS: Laughter yoga is a noninvasive complementary therapy that clinicians can use to reduce the PMS symptoms.