Effects of integrated yoga on quality of life and interpersonal relationship of pregnant women Abbas Rakhshani • Satyapriya Maharana • Nagarathna Raghuram • Hongasandra R. Nagendra • Padmalatha Venkatram Accepted: 29 June 2010 / Published online: 15 July 2010 Ó Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2010 Abstract Purpose The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of integrated yoga on the quality of life and inter- personal relationships in normal pregnant women. Methods One hundred and two pregnant women between 18 and 20 weeks of gestation who met the inclusion criteria were recruited from the obstetric units in Bangalore and were randomly assigned to two groups of yoga (n = 51) and control (n = 51). Women with medical conditions that could potentially lead to pregnancy complications and those with abnormal fetal parameters were excluded. The yoga group received integrated yoga while control group received standard antenatal exercises, both for 1-h three times a week from 20th to 36th week of gestation. Pre and post assessments were done using WHOQOL-100 and FIRO-B questionnaires. Results Of the six domains of WHOQOL-100, between groups analysis showed significant improvements in the yoga group compared to the control in the physical (P = 0.001), psychological (P \ 0.001), social (P = 0.003), and environmental domains (P = 0.001). In FIRO-B, the yoga group showed significant improvements in ‘Expressed Inclusion’ (P = 0.02) and ‘Wanted Control’ (P = 0.009) domains compared to the control group. Conclusion The integrated yoga is an efficacious means of improving the quality of life of pregnant women and enhancing certain aspects of their interpersonal relationships. Keywords Yoga Á Pregnancy Á World Health Organization Quality of Life Á WHOQOL-100 Á Fundamental Interpersonal Relationships Orientation Á FIRO-B Abbreviations WHOQOL World Health Organization Quality of Life FIRO Fundamental Interpersonal Relationships Orientation Introduction World Health Organization defines health as ‘‘a state of physical, mental, social and spiritual [1] well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity’’ [2]. This broad definition of well-being is reflected in an increasing appreciation of quality of life issues and the interper- sonal relationships of the subject with his/her environment [3]. Chronic psychosocial stress has become prevalent in modern society [4] and is associated with a substantial reduction in the quality of life [5]. Maternal psychological stress has been associated with reduced placental perfusion [6] and endothelial dysfunction [7], which are known as the main causes of many pregnancy complications, including intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH), and preeclampsia [7]. In particular, maternal stress is strongly linked to many hypertension- related complications of pregnancy [8]. However, it is now documented that PIH and related complications can be reversed [9]. Stress can affect maternal immunity adversely [10], contribute to reduced placental perfusion [11], and nega- tively impact the pregnancy outcome [12]. In addition, A. Rakhshani (&) Á S. Maharana Á N. Raghuram Á H. R. Nagendra Á P. Venkatram SVYASA University, Bangalore, India e-mail: abbas616@gmail.com 123 Qual Life Res (2010) 19:1447–1455 DOI 10.1007/s11136-010-9709-2