Examination of Faith-Based Yoga Intervention on Perceived Stress and Coping in College Females

Abstract

This study utilized regular attendance of twice-weekly, forty-five-minute yoga sessions as an intervention for stress, alongside a Christian scripture meditation. Undergraduate female students (N = 37) were divided into two groups. The treatment group (N = 15) engaged in a six-week yoga intervention consisting of twice-weekly, forty-five-minute yoga sessions with a meditation on Matthew 11:28-30. The control group (N = 22) refrained from any yoga participation for the duration of the study. Participants were examined at the baseline and following the six-week intervention, using the Perceived Stress Scale and the Brief COPE questionnaire. Post-test results revealed a significant difference in mean perceived stress scores between the yoga group (M = 15.42, SD = 5.28) and control group (M = 21.68, SD = 6.41), t (31) = 2.97, p = 0.006. The yoga group also showed a significant within-group decrease in perceived stress from pre-test (M = 22.07, SD = 4.66) to post-test (M = 15.42, SD = 5.28), t (13) = 4.05, p = 0.001. Significant changes in coping behaviors were also found. It can be concluded that a twice-weekly yoga intervention over six weeks in conjunction with Christian meditation may have the potential to decrease stress and alter coping behaviors in undergraduate college females.