Using Yoga to Reduce Stress and Bullying Behaviors among Urban Youth

Abstract

Background/Purpose: Obesity and secondary conditions continue to dispro-portionally affect the health of children living in urban areas. Studies show that a lack of resources and physical activity-unfriendly communities discou-rage 60 minutes of daily activity, including strengthening exercises, as recom-mended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Using Social Eco-logical theory, the purpose of this study was to examine the multi-level influ-ences of a yoga-based intervention on urban, inner city youth. Method: Using a mixed-methods design, ninety-three 3 -5 th grade students at five urban elemen-tary schools participated in a ten-week yoga intervention. Analysis/Results: RM-ANOVA results revealed a significant reduction in stress and bullying be-haviors among participants, and multiple regression analyses revealed that pro-gram attendance, change in stress, and change in yoga enjoyment significantly predicted change in yoga participation outside PE, when controlling for gen-der and age F(5, 87) = 5.36, p < 0.01, adj. R 2 = 0.19, but did not have a signifi-cant impact on physical activity participation outside of school. Student inter-views and non-participant observations revealed strong enjoyment of yoga which led students to report substantial increases in yoga-related activities outside of school. Students also revealed that experience in yoga improved fo-cus, attention, and reduced stress. Conclusions: Through convergence of qu-alitative and quantitative methods, this study showed a positive relationship between the number of yoga sessions attended (dose), enjoyment of yoga, and participation in yoga outside PE with friends and family. Findings suggest that urban PE should include more individual, non-competitive activities such as yoga, which students find to be stress-relieving, fun, inexpensive and easy to perform at home.