Yoga Education Program for Reducing Drug Dependency and Promoting Better Asthma Control for Chronic Asthmatic Children: A Multicity Experiment. (March 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Pandya, Samta
• Is Part Of: Global pediatric health. Volume 6(2019)
• Publication Date: 2019-03
• Subjects: asthma -- asthmatic children -- asthma control -- yoga -- yoga education program -- repeated measures design; Pediatrics -- Periodicals; Children -- Health and hygiene -- Periodicals; 618.92
• DOI: 10.1177/2333794X19837455
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2333-794X

Abstract

This article reports a 1-year long yoga education program (YEP) experiment aimed at reducing drug dependency and promoting better asthma control for chronic asthmatic children. Participants were 450 chronic asthmatic children across 4 cities. Two measures were used: Pediatric Asthma Diary (PAD) and Childhood Asthma Control Test (C-ACT). Results indicated that intervention group children had better asthma control in terms of lower average PAD scores and higher C-ACT scores and reduced drug intake vis-à-vis the control group. Within the intervention cohort, asthma symptoms persistence was lower and control was higher for children from Asian cities, boys, Hindus, middle-class children, those whose mothers were their primary caregivers, who lived in standard family setups, who also attended the optional YEP rounds, and regularly self-practiced. The strongest predictor of lower posttest PAD scores and higher C-ACT scores was self-practice. The YEP can be used as an effective complementary treatment for chronic asthmatic children.