Impact of Prenatal Yoga on Reducing Anxiety in the Third Trimester of Pregnancy: An Empirical Study from Jalgaon District.

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Background: Late-pregnancy anxiety is associated with adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes. Despite the growing popularity of prenatal yoga as a holistic intervention combining physical postures (asanas), breathing techniques (pranayama), and meditation, limited evidence exists regarding its effectiveness in reducing anxiety among pregnant women in semi-urban Indian settings such as Jalgaon district. 2. Aim of the Study The study aimed to: • Assess the level of anxiety among third-trimester pregnant women in Jalgaon district. • Examine the effect of a structured prenatal yoga programme on anxiety reduction. • Compare anxiety levels between yoga-practising and non-practising pregnant women. • Identify the yoga component most strongly associated with anxiety reduction. 3. Research Design A quantitative, non-randomized, purposive-comparative survey design was adopted for the study. 4. Sample The study included 200 third-trimester pregnant women (28–40 weeks gestation): • Group A: 100 regular prenatal yoga practitioners. • Group B: 100 non-yoga participants (control group). 5.

Setting: The study was conducted in urban, semi-urban, and rural areas of Jalgaon district, Maharashtra, India. 6. Tools for Data Collection Data were collected using: • Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7) • Pregnancy-Specific Anxiety Scale (8-item questionnaire) The reliability of the instruments was established: • GAD-7: Cronbach's α = 0.840 • Pregnancy-Specific Anxiety Scale: Cronbach's α = 0.883 7. Results • The baseline mean GAD-7 score was 13.54 (SD = 3.39), indicating a high prevalence of anxiety, with 86% of participants falling within the moderate-to-severe anxiety range. • Anxiety levels showed no significant association with age, education, income, or place of residence. • The prenatal yoga programme significantly reduced anxiety levels: o GAD-7 scores decreased from 13.52 to 7.34 (p < .001). o Pregnancy-Specific Anxiety scores decreased from 21.47 to 10.47 (p < .001). • Yoga practitioners demonstrated significantly lower anxiety levels than the non-yoga control group on both anxiety measures (p < .001). • Among yoga components: o Meditation showed the greatest reduction in anxiety (Mean = 6.33). o Pranayama was the second most effective (Mean = 8.23). o Asanas showed comparatively lower effectiveness (Mean = 9.30). • One-way ANOVA indicated a significant difference among the three yoga components (F(2,97) = 18.15, p < .001). 8.

Conclusion: Structured prenatal yoga is a safe, effective, culturally appropriate, and equitable intervention for reducing anxiety among third-trimester pregnant women. Meditation and pranayama emerged as the most influential components contributing to anxiety reduction. The intervention demonstrated substantial benefits across diverse demographic groups. 9. Recommendations • Integrate prenatal yoga programmes into routine antenatal care services. • Emphasize meditation and pranayama practices within prenatal yoga modules. • Train healthcare professionals and yoga instructors to deliver evidence-based prenatal yoga interventions. • Promote awareness regarding the mental health benefits of prenatal yoga among pregnant women and their families. • Conduct longitudinal and randomized controlled studies to further evaluate the long-term effectiveness of prenatal yoga on maternal and neonatal outcomes. • Extend similar programmes to other semi-urban and rural districts with comparable maternal health needs. Keywords: prenatal yoga; third-trimester anxiety; GAD-7; pregnancy-specific anxiety; meditation; pranayama; semi-urban India; Jalgaon district; maternal mental health; behavioural intervention.