The Effect of Yoga Breathing Exercises on Quality of Life in Children with Asthma

Asthma is a chronic disease in children that significantly impacts their quality of life.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of yoga breathing exercises on the quality of life of children with asthma.

In this quasi-experimental study, 84 children with asthma aged 5 - 11 years old were selected and nonrandomly divided into the control group (n = 42) and the intervention group (n = 42). Both groups completed the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory 3.0 (the PedsQL 3.0) Asthma Module. Then, the intervention group performed yoga breathing exercises twice a day for 2 months in addition to receiving medical treatment at home, while the control group only received medical treatment. After 2 months, both groups completed the PedsQL 3.0 Asthma Module for the second time.

The mean score and standard deviation for the quality of life before the intervention were 69 ± 13.6 in the intervention group and 72 ± 12.2 in the control group (P = 0.29). After the intervention, the mean score and standard deviation for quality of life were 79.4 ± 9.1 in the intervention group and 72.7 ± 11.1 in the control group (P < 0.003).

Yoga breathing exercises improved the quality of life in children with asthma. Therefore, these exercises are recommended as a complementary therapy for pediatric asthma.