The effect of yoga on stress level in infertile women
Corresponding Author
Nurcan Kirca PhD, RN
Department of Obstetrics & Gynecological Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Akdeniz University, Antalya, Turkey
Correspondence Nurcan Kirca PhD, RN, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecological Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Akdeniz University, Dumlupinar Street, Arapsuyu Campus, Antalya 07058, Turkey. Email: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorTurkan Pasinlioglu PhD, RN
Department of Obstetrics & Gynecological Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, Sanko University, Gaziantep, Turkey
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Nurcan Kirca PhD, RN
Department of Obstetrics & Gynecological Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Akdeniz University, Antalya, Turkey
Correspondence Nurcan Kirca PhD, RN, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecological Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Akdeniz University, Dumlupinar Street, Arapsuyu Campus, Antalya 07058, Turkey. Email: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorTurkan Pasinlioglu PhD, RN
Department of Obstetrics & Gynecological Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, Sanko University, Gaziantep, Turkey
Search for more papers by this authorAbstract
Purpose
The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of planned yoga practices on stress levels in infertile women.
Design and Methods
This randomized controlled study included 128 volunteer women who were registered at a private in vitro fertilization (IVF) clinic and received infertility treatment. The patients in the experimental group took part in the yoga program twice a week for 6 weeks. A personal information form and The Copenhagen Multi-center Psychosocial Infertility (COMPI) Fertility Problem Stress Scale were used to collect data.
Findings
The differences between the mean scores of the control and experimental groups on the COMPI Fertility Problem Stress Scale at pre- and posttests were statistically significant (P < 0.05).
Practice Implications
Because yoga practices may be effective in reducing stress in infertile women, these applications can be performed before treatment. It may reduce patients’ stress and increase the success of the treatment. These findings indicate that yoga could reduce stress levels in infertile women.
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.
REFERENCES
- 1Hess RF, Ross R, Gililland JL, Jr. Infertility, psychological distress, and coping strategies among women in Mali, West Africa: a mixed-methods study. Afr J Reprod Health. 2018; 22: 60-72. https://doi.org/10.29063/ajrh2018/v22i1.6
- 2Datta J, Palmer MJ, Tanton C, et al. Prevalence of infertility and help seeking among 15 000 women and men. Hum Reprod. 2016; 31(9): 2108-2118. https://doi.org/10.1093/humrep/dew123
- 3Peterson BD, Sejbaek CS, Pirritano M, Schmidt L. Are severe depressive symptoms associated with infertility-related distress in individuals and their partners? Hum Reprod. 2014; 29: 76-82. https://doi.org/10.1093/humrep/det412
- 4Donarelli Z, Gullo S, Lo Coco G, et al. Assessing infertility-related stress: the factor structure of the Fertility Problem Inventory in Italian couples undergoing infertility treatment. J Psychosom Obstet Gynecol. 2015; 36: 58-65. https://doi.org/10.3109/0167482X.2015.1034268
- 5Frederiksen Y, O'Toole MS, Mehlsen MY, et al. The effect of expressive writing intervention for infertile couples: a randomized controlled trial. Hum Reprod. 2017; 32: 391-402. https://doi.org/10.1093/humrep/dew320
- 6Boivin J, Griffiths E, Venetis CA. Emotional distress in infertile women and failure of assisted reproductive technologies: meta-analysis of prospective psychosocial studies. Br Med J. 2011; 342: d223. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.d223
- 7Schweiger U, Schweiger JU, Schweiger JI. Mental disorders and female infertility. Archiv Psychol. 2018; 2: 1-14. https://doi.org/10.31296/aop.v2i6.73
10.31296/aop.v2i6.73 Google Scholar
- 8Ramamurthi R, Kavitha G, Pounraj D, Rajarajeswari S. Psychological impact and coping strategies among women with infertility—A hospital based cross sectional study. Int Archiv Integr Med. 2016; 3: 114-118.
- 9Vikström J, Josefsson A, Bladh M, Sydsjö G. Mental health in women 20-23 years after IVF treatment: a Swedish cross-sectional study. BMJ Open. 2015; 5(10). https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2015-009426
- 10Valsangkar S, Bodhare T, Bele S, Sai S. An evaluation of the effect of infertility on marital, sexual satisfaction indices and health-related quality of life in women. J Hum Reprod Sci. 2011; 4: 80-85. https://doi.org/10.4103/0974-1208.86088
- 11Masoumi SZ, Garousian M, Khani S, Oliaei SR, Shayan A. Comparison of quality of life, sexual satisfaction and marital satisfaction between fertile and infertile couples. Int J Fertil Steril. 2016; 10: 290-296. https://doi.org/10.22074/ijfs.2016.5045
- 12Maroufizadeh S, Ghaheri A, Omani Samani R. Factors associated with poor quality of life among Iranian infertile women undergoing IVF. Psychol Health Med. 2017; 22: 145-151. https://doi.org/10.1080/13548506.2016.1153681
- 13Namdar A, Naghizadeh MM, Zamani M, Yaghmaei F, Sameni MH. Quality of life and general health of infertile women. Health Qual Life Outcomes. 2017; 15(139): 1-7. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12955-017-0712-y
- 14Safaei Nezhad A, Vakili MM, Ebrahimi L, Kharaghani R. Demographics and the correlation between irrational parenthood cognitions and marital relationship quality in infertile women in Zanjan province in 2016. Perspect Psychiatr Care. 2018. https://doi.org/10.1111/ppc.12298
- 15Karaca A, Unsal G. Psychosocial problems and coping strategies among Turkish women with infertility. Asian Nurs Res. 2015; 9: 243-250. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anr.2015.04.007
- 16Martins MV, Costa P, Peterson BD, Costa ME, Schmidt L. Marital stability and repartnering: infertility-related stress trajectories of unsuccessful fertility treatment. Fertil Steril. 2014; 102: 1716-1722. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2014.09.007
- 17Pasch LA, Gregorich SE, Katz PK, et al. Psychological distress and in vitro fertilization outcome. Fertil Steril. 2012; 98: 459-464. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2012.05.023
- 18Kochhar KP, Oberoi AK, Hazra S, Lal PR. The role of traditional diet and yoga for infertility: a blend and balance of traditional knowledge and modern medicine. Indian J Tradit Knowl. 2017; 16: 69-74. http://nopr.niscair.res.in/handle/123456789/42278
- 19Domar AD, Kelly AL. Conquering infertility. New York, NY: Penguin Books; 2004.
- 20Sexty RE, Hamadneh J, Rösner S, et al. Cross-cultural comparison of fertility specific quality of life in German, Hungarian and Jordanian couples attending a fertility center. Health Qual Life Outcomes. 2016; 14: 27. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12955-016-0429-3
- 21Qian Y, Xia XR, Ochin H, et al. Therapeutic effect of acupuncture on the outcomes of in vitro fertilization: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Arch Gynecol Obstet. 2017; 295: 543-558. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-016-4255-y
- 22Hughes EG, da Silva AM. A pilot study assessing art therapy as a mental health intervention for subfertile women. Hum Reprod. 2011; 26: 611-615. https://doi.org/10.1093/humrep/deq.385
- 23Valiani M, Abediyan S, Ahmadi SM, Pahlavanzadeh S, Hassanzadeh A. The effect of relaxation techniques to ease the stress in infertile women. Iran J Nurs Midwifery Res. 2010; 15: 259-264.
- 24Oron G, Allnutt E, Lackman T, Sokal-Arnon T, Holzer H, Takefman J. A prospective study using Hatha Yoga for stress reduction among women waiting for IVF treatment. Reprod Biomed Online. 2015; 30: 542-548. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rbmo.2015.01.011
- 25Valoriani V, Lotti F, Vanni C, et al. Hatha-yoga as a psychological adjuvant for women undergoing IVF: a pilot study. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol. 2014; 176: 158-162. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejogrb.2014.02.007
- 26Barbieri RL, Domar AD, Loughlin KR. Six steps to increased fertility. An integrated medical and mind/body approach to promote conception. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster; 2000.
- 27Khalsa HK. Yoga: an adjunct to infertility treatment. Fertil Steril. 2003; 80: 46-51.
- 28Sengupta P. Environmental and occupational exposure of metals and their role in male reproductive functions. Drug Chem Toxicol. 2013; 36: 353-368. https://doi.org/10.3109/01480545.2012.710631
- 29Gaiswinkler L, Unterrainer HF, Fink A, Kapfhammer HP. The relationship between yoga immersion, psychological well-being and psychiatric symptoms. Neuropsychiatr. 2015; 29: 29-35. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40211-015-0139-9
- 30Hoveyda S, Zareei H, Abadi M, Dabaghi P. The effectiveness of mindfulness-based stress reduction program and group conscious yoga on anxiety, depression, stress in infertile women. BARS J. 2015; 4: 48-53.
- 31Jasani S, Heller B, Jasulaitis S, Davidson M, Cytron JH. Impact of a structured yoga program on anxiety in infertility patients: a feasibility study. J Fertil. 2016; 4: 1-6. https://doi.org/10.4172/2375-4508.1000183
- 32Martinez F, Andersen CY, Barri PN, et al. Update on fertility preservation from the Barcelona international society for fertility preservation-ESHRE-ASRM 2015 expert meeting: indications, results and future perspectives. Fertil Steril. 2017; 108: 407-415. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2017.05.024
- 33 RANDOM.ORG True Random Number Service (Randomness and Integrity Servicess Ltd). https://www.randomizer.org/web. Accessed April 25, 2016.
- 34Arslan-Özkan I, Okumuş H, Buldukoğlu K. A randomized controlled trial of the effects of nursing care base on Watson's theory of human caring on distress self-efficacy and adjustment in infertile women. J Adv Nurs. 2014; 70: 1801-1812. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.12338
- 35Schmidt L. Infertility and assisted reproduction in Denmark. Epidemiology and psychosocial consequences. Dan Med Bull. 2006; 53: 390-417.
- 36Yilmaz T, Yesiltepe-Oskay U. The Copenhagen multi-centre psychosocial infertility (COMPI) fertility problem stress and coping strategy scales: a psychometric validation study in Turkish infertile couples. Int J Caring Sci. 2016; 9: 452-462.
- 37Ikai S, Suzuki T, Uchida H, Saruta J. Effects of weekly one-hour hatha yoga therapy on resilience and stress levels in patients with schizophrenia- spectrum disorders:an eight week randomized controlled trial. J Altern Complement Med. 2014; 20: 823-830. https://doi.org/10.1089/acm.2014.0205
- 38Galhardo A, Cunha M, Pinto-Gouveia J. Mindfulness-based workshop for infertility: efficacy study. Fertil Steril. 2013; 100: 1059-1067. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2013.05.036
- 39Terzioglu F, Turk R, Yucel C, Dilbaz S, Cinar O, Karahalil B. The effect of anxiety and depression scores of couples who underwent assisted reproductive techniques on the pregnancy outcomes. Afr Health Sci. 2016; 16: 441-450. https://doi.org/10.4314/ahs.v16i2.12
- 40Hajela S, Prasad S, Kumaran A, Kumar Y. Stress and infertility: a review. Int J Reprod Contracept Obstet Gynecol. 2016; 5: 940-943. https://doi.org/10.18203/2320-1770.ijrcog20160846
10.18203/2320-1770.ijrcog20160846 Google Scholar
- 41Luk BH, Loke AY. The impact of infertility on the psychological well-being, marital relationships, sexual relationships, and quality of life of couples: a systematic review. J Sex Marital Ther. 2015; 41: 610-625. https://doi.org/10.1080/0092623X.2014.958789
- 42Oguz HD. Infertility's effects on mental health, marital relation and sexual life among females who have infertility treatment [PhD Dissertation]. Istanbul, Turkey: Bakirkoy Psychiatric Hospital; 2004
- 43Peterson BD, Pirritano M, Christensen U, Boivin J, Block J, Schmidt L. The longitudinal impact of partner coping in couples following 5 years of unsuccessful fertility treatments. Hum Reprod. 2009; 24: 1656-1664. https://doi.org/10.1093/humrep/dep061
- 44Sis Celik A, Kirca N. Determining the stress level of infertile women due to infertility and the some factors that affect their stress level. J Anatol Nurs Health Sci. 2018; 21: 104-114.
- 45Yilmaz T, Yesiltepe U. Methods to cope with infertility stress and nursing attitudes. HSP. 2015; 2: 100-112.
10.17681/hsp.20993 Google Scholar
- 46Herrmann D, Scherg H, Verres R, von Hagens C, Strowitzki T, Wischmann T. Resilience in infertile couples acts as a protective factor against infertility-specific distress and impaired quality of life. J Assist Reprod Genet. 2011; 28: 1111-1117. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-011-9637-2
- 47Aflakseir A, Zarei M. Association between coping strategies and infertility stress among a group of women with fertility problem in Shiraz, Iran. J Reprod Infertil. 2013; 14: 202-206.
- 48Sezgin H, Hocaoğlu Ç. Psychiatric aspects of infertility. Curr Approaches Psychiatry. 2014; 6: 165-184.
- 49Molly E (2014). Relaxation Through Yoga. Point Cook Power Store. England.
- 50Domar AD, Rooney KL, Wiegand B, et al. Impact of a group mind/body intervention on pregnancy rates in IVF patients. Fertil Steril. 2011; 95: 2269-2273. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2011.03.046
- 51Smith JF, Eisenberg ML, Millstein SG, et al. The use of complementary and alternative fertility treatment in couples seeking fertility care: data from a prospective cohort in the United States. Fertil Steril. 2010; 93: 2169-2174. https://doi.org/10.1186/1745-6215-13-60