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Effects of Yoga Training on Cognitive Performance and Anxiety of Children with ADHD

Document Type : Research Article (s)

Authors

1 Department of Physical Education, Farhangian University, Tehran, Iran

2 Department of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Isfahan Branch, (Khorasgan), Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran

3 Department of Physical Education, Gorgan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Gorgan, Iran

4 Department of Physical Education, K. N Toosi University of Technology, Tehran, Iran

5 Department of Physical Education and Sports Sciences, Parand Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Background: The influence of yoga training and its associated exercises on anxiety and cognitive functioning in children diagnosed with ADHD is a relatively neglected field of research. This study aimed to investigate how engagement in a yoga exercise program affects cognitive abilities, particularly attention and memory, alongside anxiety levels in children diagnosed with ADHD.
Methods: This study employed a quasi-experimental design, specifically a pretest-posttest approach that incorporated a control group. The study participants were primary school students diagnosed with ADHD in district 5 of Tehran, Iran, during the academic year of 2023-2024. Forty participants were selected through convenience sampling and subsequently assigned at random to either the experimental group, which engaged in yoga, or the control group. The experimental group underwent 16 yoga training sessions, each lasting 45 minutes, scheduled twice a week. Data were analyzed using paired and independent t-tests with SPSS version 27.
Results: The findings indicated a significant improvement in attention scores among the yoga participants during the postintervention phase (0.495±0.12, P<0.001). Additionally, there was a significant enhancement in both forward and backward working memory scores for these participants in the same phase (9.60±1.42, P<0.001; and 5.80±1.05, P<0.001, respectively). Lastly, the data revealed a significant reduction in anxiety scores for individuals in the yoga group following the intervention (6.95±1.43, P<0.001).
Conclusions: Engaging in practices such as yoga, as outlined in this study, may significantly contribute to alleviating cognitive impairments and anxiety-related issues in children with ADHD.

Highlights

Sara Bagheri: (Google Scholar)

 

How to Cite: Bagheri S, Rostamabadi M, Khajeh Aflatoon Mofrad S, Khodadad Kashi S, Shahedi V. Effects of Yoga Training on Cognitive Performance and Anxiety of Children with ADHD. Int. J. School. Health. 2025;12(3):187-196. doi: 10.30476/intjsh.2025.105097.1469.

Keywords

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International Journal of School Health
Volume 12, Issue 3 - Serial Number 46
July 2025
Pages 187-196
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