Original Research Article
Year: 2022 | Month: April | Volume: 12 | Issue: 4 | Pages: 196-215
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52403/ijhsr.20220424
Effectiveness of Buteyko Breathing Technique on Test Anxiety among College Students: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Gopika Gopakumar1, Princy Mathew2
1P.G Student (Cardio Respiratory), College of Physiotherapy, Medical Trust Institute of Medical Sciences, Kochi- 682309
2Associate Professor, College of Physiotherapy, Medical Trust Institute of Medical Sciences, Kochi – 682309
Corresponding Author: Princy Mathew
ABSTRACT
Background and Objectives: Anxiety is a common phenomenon that constitutes a universal cause of poor academic performance among students worldwide. It is a kind of self pre occupation which is manifested as minimization and results in negative cognitive evaluation, lack of concentration, and academic failures. or failure on an exam or similar evaluative situation. College students experience high stress due to various reasons such as lack of preparation, style of their study and lack of needed information. When stress is perceived negatively or excessive it leads to anxiety and it may affect their academic performance. The purpose of this study is to find out the effectiveness of Buteyko breathing technique on test anxiety among college students.
Methodology: A total of 16 subjects were selected based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, then divided in to two groups. Group A (Experimental group n= 8) received both Buteyko breathing technique and Anulom vilom pranayama, Group B (control group n=8) received Anulom vilom pranayama. Exercise program was held for five days a week (30 minutes) for 4 weeks. Test anxiety, FEV1 and quality of life were measured at the beginning and fourth week after intervention using west side test anxiety scale 9, PFT and SF36.
Results: The results were analysed using paired and independent t test. The significant level was kept as p< 0.05. The post test result in case of test anxiety, p < 0.01, shows there is a significant difference in post test scores between experimental and control group.
The post test result in case of FEV1, p = 0.29, which shows that there is no significant difference in post test score between experimental and control group.
The post test result in case of MCS, p < 0.05, which shows that there is significant difference in post test score between experimental and control group
The post test results of OCS, p =0.17 shows that there is no significant difference in post test score between experimental and control group.
Conclusion: The study concluded that Buteyko breathing significantly reduce the level of test anxiety in experimental as well as control group. But the experimental group shows significant reduction in test anxiety than control group.
Key words: Buteyko breathing, Test anxiety, Anulom vilom pranayama, FEV1, Quality of life.