Objectives: To investigate the effects of a yoga program on menstrual cramps and menstrual distress in undergraduate students with primary dysmenorrhea.
Design: Single-blind, randomized controlled trial.
Participants: 40 randomly selected undergraduate nursing students, with 20 each assigned to an exercise or a control group.
Intervention: The participants engaged in a yoga program for 60 minutes once a week for 12 weeks. The program consisted of physical exercise combined with relaxation and meditation.
Outcome measures: Menstrual cramps and menstrual distress levels were measured by using the Visual Analogue Scale for Pain and the Menstrual Distress Questionnaire, respectively. Data were analyzed by using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Shapiro-Wilk normality tests, t-test, chi-square test, logistic regression analysis, and multivariate analysis of variance (SPSS program).
Results: Menstrual pain intensity (group difference, -0.94; 95% confidence interval [CI], -1.47 to -0.42; p = 0.001) and menstrual distress (group difference, -1.13; 95% CI, -1.43 to -0.82; p < 0.0001) scores decreased significantly in the experimental group compared with the control group.
Conclusions: These findings indicate that yoga interventions may reduce menstrual cramps and menstrual distress in female undergraduate students with primary dysmenorrhea.