Effects of Sitting Meditation and Hatha Yoga in Adolescents

January 14, 2015 updated by: Kristen Jastrowski Mano, Alliant International University

Differential Effects of Sitting Meditation and Hatha Yoga on Working Memory, Stress, and Mindfulness Among Adolescents in a School Setting

The present study was a randomized controlled trial that explored the feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of short-term mindfulness training among adolescents. The primary purpose was to investigate the effectiveness of two main Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction components-sitting meditation and hatha yoga-on working memory, stress, anxiety and mindfulness. The influence of daily home practice compliance on intervention outcomes was also examined.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

The present study was a randomized controlled trial that explored the feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of short-term mindfulness training among adolescents. The primary purpose was to investigate the effectiveness of two main Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction components-sitting meditation and hatha yoga-on working memory, stress, anxiety and mindfulness. The influence of daily home practice compliance on intervention outcomes was also examined. Participants (N = 198 adolescents) were recruited from a large public middle school in southern California. Participants were randomly assigned to sitting meditation, hatha yoga, or a waitlist control group. Participants were asked to complete a computerized working memory task, and self-report measures of perceived stress, anxiety, and mindfulness at pre- and post-intervention/waitlist, as well as one-month follow-up. A series of mixed-design analyses of variance (ANOVAs) were used to examine changes in working memory, stress, anxiety, and mindfulness between groups at pre- and post- intervention.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

198

Phase

  • Phase 2
  • Phase 1

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

12 years to 17 years (Child)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Students currently enrolled in school
  • Between the ages of 12 - 17 years old
  • English speaking-to understand and complete the measures
  • Able to attend the weekly hatha yoga or sitting meditation sessions
  • Not reporting any injuries or health condition(s) that might limit their physical activity

Exclusion Criteria:

  • hearing impairments, injuries, or physical disabilities that would hinder them from fully participating in intervention

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Factorial Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Sitting Meditation
4 weeks (45-min sessions, 2x per week) of sitting meditation, based on MBSR. The sitting meditation condition consisted of three parts: (a) breathing techniques, (b) meditation, and (c) discussion. Participants in the sitting meditation group learned new types of sitting meditation each week. Participants in the sitting meditation group received a CD that consisted of audio meditations that they could follow along at home. The sitting meditation participants were encouraged to practice formal sitting meditation for 15 to 30 minutes every day and asked to record details of their practice on their daily home practice logs.
Behavioral: Sitting Meditation
4 weeks Sitting Meditation
Experimental: Hatha Yoga
4 weeks(45-min sessions, 2x per week) of Hatha Yoga. The adolescent hatha yoga curriculum was used with permission from Shanti Generation Yoga © (2009) created by Abby Wills. The hatha yoga sessions consisted of three parts: (a) breathing techniques, (b) yoga poses, and (c) discussion. Participants in the hatha yoga group learned a series of new yoga poses each week, as well as reviewed old poses. During the first session, participants in the hatha yoga group received a DVD that contained five yoga lessons corresponding to the yoga poses being taught in the intervention. Participants were encouraged to practice the series of yoga poses at home for 15 to 30 minutes each day and record their home practice in their daily home practice logs.
Behavioral: Hatha yoga
4 weeks of Hatha yoga
No Intervention: Waitlist Control
4-week waitlist control condition. Completed all study measures at same time points as experimental groups. Were randomly assigned to one of the two active treatment conditions after completing the waitlist period.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Working Memory Capacity: Automated Operational Span Task (AOSPAN)
Time Frame: pre-intervention and post-intervention (waitlist), t the end of the 4-week intervention (waitlist) period
Participants completed the AOSPAN prior to beginning their group condition (sitting meditation, Hatha yoga, or waitlist control) and again at the end of the 4-week intervention (waitlist) period.
pre-intervention and post-intervention (waitlist), t the end of the 4-week intervention (waitlist) period

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Stress: Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10)
Time Frame: pre-intervention and post-intervention (waitlist), t the end of the 4-week intervention (waitlist) period
Participants completed the PSS-10 prior to beginning their group condition (sitting meditation, Hatha yoga, or waitlist control) and again at the end of the 4-week intervention (waitlist) period.
pre-intervention and post-intervention (waitlist), t the end of the 4-week intervention (waitlist) period
Anxiety: Screen for Child Anxiety and Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED)
Time Frame: pre-intervention and post-intervention, t the end of the 4-week intervention (waitlist) period
Participants completed the SCARED prior to beginning their group condition (sitting meditation, Hatha yoga, or waitlist control) and again at the end of the 4-week intervention (waitlist) period.
pre-intervention and post-intervention, t the end of the 4-week intervention (waitlist) period
Mindfulness: Child Acceptance and Mindfulness Measure (CAMM)
Time Frame: pre-intervention and post-intervention (waitlist), t the end of the 4-week intervention (waitlist) period
Participants completed the CAMM prior to beginning their group condition (sitting meditation, Hatha yoga, or waitlist control) and again at the end of the 4-week intervention (waitlist) period.
pre-intervention and post-intervention (waitlist), t the end of the 4-week intervention (waitlist) period

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Alliant International University

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Kristen Jastrowski Mano, Ph.D., Alliant International University

Publications and helpful links

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General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

March 1, 2013

Primary Completion (Actual)

June 1, 2013

Study Completion (Actual)

July 1, 2013

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

January 9, 2015

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 14, 2015

First Posted (Estimate)

January 15, 2015

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

January 15, 2015

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 14, 2015

Last Verified

January 1, 2015

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • Quach-1-2013

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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