The Effectiveness of Prenatal Yoga Bahya Pranayama on Reducing Anxiety in Pregnant Women in South Tangerang

Background: In pregnant women, experience of stress and anxiety during the third trimester of pregnancy may increase the release of stress hormones that cause disruption of blood flow to uterus which can lead to various complications. Prenatal yoga Bahya Pranayama is a breathing exercise that is practiced to control the emotions of pregnant women. This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of prenatal yoga Bahya Pranayama on anxiety in pregnant women. Subjects and Method: A randomized controlled trial (RCT) was conducted at Jombang community health center, South Tangerang, Indonesia, from July to August 2020. A total of 160 third semester pregnant women was allocated randomly into the intervention group (n= 22) and control group (n= 22). The invention group obtained prenatal Bahya Pranayama yoga one time per day for two weeks. The dependent variable was anxiety level. The independent variable was prenatal yoga Bahya Pranayama. The anxiety level variable was measured by Zung-Self Rating Scale (ZSAS) questionnaire. The data were analyzed using independent t-test. Results: After intervention, the average anxiety level of third trimester pregnant women in prenatal Bahya Pranayama yoga group (Mean= 6.00; SD= 3.59) was lower than that in control group (Mean= 9.63; SD= 4.79), and it was statistically significant (p= 0.007). Conclusion: Prenatal Bahya Pranayama yoga significantly reduces the anxiety level in third trimester pregnant women.