Yoga among Antenatal Women: A Cross-sectional Study at Rapti Provincial Hospital, Nepal

Abstract

Context: Yoga practice during pregnancy offers numerous benefits for maternal and fetal health, yet its prevalence and acceptance among pregnant women in Nepal remain understudied. Aim: This study aimed to assess the prevalence of yoga practice and its acceptance as part of antenatal care (ANC) among pregnant women attending ANC at Rapti Provincial Hospital, Dang, Nepal. Settings and Design: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted at the ANC unit of Rapti Provincial Hospital, involving pregnant women attending ANC visits. Methods: Data were collected through face-to-face interviews using a semi-structured questionnaire covering sociodemographic variables, family and health history, and yoga practice. Statistical Analyses: Descriptive statistics, Chi-square tests, and multivariate logistic regression were used for statistical analysis. Results: Among 227 respondents, 16.7% practiced yoga during pregnancy, with 50.2% perceiving acceptance of yoga in ANC. The practice and acceptability of yoga in pregnancy were significantly associated with age, ethnicity, age at marriage, husband’s age, employment status, husband’s employment status, and prepregnancy yoga practice in bivariate analysis. While taking those factors in multivariate analysis, practice was found to be associated with husbands’ employment status and prepregnancy yoga practice and acceptability was found to be associated with ethnicity, husbands’ employment status, and prepregnancy yoga practice. Conclusions: The study revealed the low yoga prevalence among pregnant Nepalese women, necessitating targeted interventions for its promotion during pregnancy. Integrating yoga into routine ANC could enhance maternal and fetal outcomes by educating women about its benefits and fostering supportive environments for practice.

Keywords

• acceptance
• antenatal care
• practice
• pregnant women
• yoga