Evaluation of Yoga Programs for Vulnerable Middle School Students

Youth interventions are difficult to design because of the challenges of interest from students and schools, funding, effectiveness of programs, and support teachers and school administration. An evaluation of middle-school programs directed by non-profit organizations have shown to be effective, affordable, and supported holistic wellness programs for adolescents. In this study, a yoga program was paired with an educational program on nutrition, social, and environmental health. The programs are funded from donations and are offered to schools that have limited funding and have a vulnerable or at-risk student population. A study was designed to measure the effectiveness of the program over time for the measures of morbidity, academic performance, psychological well-being, social health, and physical health. Data was collected twice over the course of 12 weeks from 121 middle-school students. Data was analyzed using frequency analysis and non-parametric tests (McNemar's, Spearman's Correlation, and Wilcoxon Tests), to identify changes over time. Results from this study show that students report fewer difficulties with their physical health and well-being after practicing yoga for 12 weeks. Students feel more calm and relaxed in school especially when completing assignments or exams. Socially students reported fewer disciplinary episodes or events after participating in the yoga program. Limitations include no random assignment (quasi-experimental design) and use of a convenience sample. Future study with a larger more representative sample needs to be conducted. Additionally, students need to be monitored for a longer period of time to observe any long term benefits in both health and academic performance.