EFFECT OF YOGIC PRACTICES WITH AND WITHOUT DIET MODIFICATIONS ON LIFE SATISFACTION AMONG AGED DIABETIC  WOMEN

 

*R.Balan, **Dr. R. Elangovan, *Ph.D Scholar, Faculty of Yoga Sciences and Therapy, Meenakshi Academy of Higher Education and Research (Deemed to be University), No.12, Vembuliamman Koil Street, West K.K.Nagar, Chennai-78, Tamil Nadu, India. E- Mail ID: r.balan@ymail.com, **Professor & Head, Faculty of Yoga Sciences and Therapy, Meenakshi Academy of Higher Education and Research (Deemed to be University), No.12, Vembuliamman Koil Street, West K.K.Nagar, Chennai-78, Tamil Nadu, India.  E-Mail ID: relangovantnpesu@gmail.com.

 

ABSTRACT

The purpose of the random group experimental study was to find out the effect of yogic practices on life satisfaction among aged Diabetic women. For the purpose of the study, 45 aged Diabetic women were selected randomly using random sampling method from Chennai between the age group of 60 and 70 years and they were divided into three groups I,II and III with 15 subjects each. It was hypothesized that there would be significant differences on selected psychological variable such as Life satisfaction among aged Diabetic women than the control group. Preliminary test was conducted for three Groups on selected dependent variable before the start of the training program. Experimental Group I underwent training for eight weeks, six days a week for a maximum of one hour in the morning and suggested with diet chart. Experimental Group II underwent training for eight weeks, six days a week for a maximum of one hour in the morning without diet suggestions. The control group was kept in active rest. The post test was conducted after the training for all three groups and the scores on life Satisfaction were recorded. The data collected from the three groups were statistically analysed by using Analysis of Co-Variance (ANCOVA) to determine the significant differences and was fixed at 0.05 level of confidence. The result of the study showed that the life satisfaction was significantly improved as result of Yogic practices and diet modification in Group I and Similarly in Group II as result of Yogic practices alone. Hence the hypothesis was accepted at 0.05 level of confidence. The conclusion was that the Yogic practices and diet modification helped to improve life satisfaction among aged diabetic women.

 

KEY WORDS: Yoga, Life Satisfaction, Obesity.

 

INTRODUCTION

Diabetes Mellitus is a constitutional disease with heritable tendencies.  A disorder caused by decreased production of insulin, or by decreased ability to use insulin.  Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas that is necessary for cells to be able to use blood sugar. The medical name for diabetes, diabetes mellitus, comes with Greek and Latin roots.  Diabetes comes from a Greek word that means to `Siphon’.  The most obvious sign of diabetes is excessive urination.  Water passes through the body of a person with diabetes as if it were being siphoned from the mouth through the urinary system out of the body.  Mellitus comes from a Latin word that means “sweet like honey”.

            The cause of diabetes mellitus is unknown, but heredity and diet are believed to play a role in its development.  Diabetes results when the pancreas produces insufficient amounts of insulin to meet the body’s needs.  It can also result when the pancreas produces insulin, but the cells are unable to efficiently use it that is, the cells have insulin resistance.  Insulin is necessary for blood sugar (glucose) to go from the blood to the inside of the cells and unless the sugar enters into the cells, the body cannot produce energy.  The excess sugar remains in the blood.  Diabetes mellitus is the commonest endocrine disorder.

Women's health issues have attained higher international visibility and renewed political commitment in recent decades. While targeted policies and programs have enabled women to lead healthier lives, significant gender-based health disparities remain in many countries. With limited access to education or employment, high illiteracy rates and increasing poverty levels are making health improvements for women exceedingly difficult.

Health-related challenges continue. Many of the modest gains in women's health realized in recent decades are now threatened or have been reversed due to war, economic instability and the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Basic health care, family planning and obstetric services are essential for women – yet they remain unavailable to millions. Gender-equitable approaches to health are needed to enable women's full participation in the planning and delivery of health services.  The health of families and communities are tied to the health of women – the illness or death of a woman has serious and far-reaching consequences for the health of her children, family and community. The slogan, “Healthy Women, Healthy World” embodies the fact that as custodians of family health, women play a critical role in maintaining the health and well-being of their communities. All the masses made up of fundamental particles and the fundamental particles are originated from the space. Knowledge about the particles and masses is Science and the knowledge about the space and its transformation is Spirituality. Combination of science and spirituality is Science of Divinity – Yoga. In one of the poetries, Vethathiri Maharishi clarifies, “The Universe minus cosmic bodies is the dense darkness (Pure space – in spirituality) which in science is called Gravity”. Mind has the capacity to shrink to the particle level and expand to the level of Universe. Yoga is the means to attain this super quality.

Life satisfaction is the way persons evaluate their lives and how they feel about where they are going in the future.   It is a measure of well-being and may be assessed in terms of mood, satisfaction   with   relations with others and with achieved goals, self-concepts, and self-perceived ability to cope with daily life. It is having a favorable attitude of one's life as a whole rather than an assessment of current feelings. Life satisfaction measured in relation to economic standing, amount of education, experiences, and residence, as well as many other topics.

This article reports the development and validation of a scale to measure global life satisfaction, the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS). Among the various components of subjective well-being, the SWLS is narrowly focused to assess global life satisfaction and does not tap related constructs such as positive affect or loneliness. The SWLS is shown to have favorable psychometric properties, including high internal consistency and high temporal reliability. Scores on the SWLS correlate moderately to high with other measures of subjective well-being, and correlate predictably with specific personality characteristics. It is noted that the SWLS is Suited for use with different age groups, and other potential uses of the scale are discussed.

Yoga is the science of right living intended, to be incorporated in daily life. It works on all aspects of the person: the physical’ vital, mental, emotional, psychic and spiritual. The word yoga means ‘unity’ or ‘oneness’ and is derived from the Sanskrit work yuj, which means ‘to join’. This unity or joining is described in spiritual terms as the union of the individual consciousness with the universal consciousness. On a more practical level, yoga is a means of balancing and harmonizing the body, mind and emotions.

OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The objective of the study was to find out whether there would be any significant difference on selected Psychological variable Life Satisfaction due to yogic practices with and without diet modifications among aged diabetic women.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

The Purpose of the study was to find out the effect of yogic practices with and without diet modifications on Life Satisfaction among aged diabetic women.

 

HYPOTHESIS

1. It was hypothesized that there would be significant differences due to yogic practices with and without diet modifications (group I and group II) than the control group (group III) on selected Psychological variable Life satisfaction among aged diabetic women.
2. It was hypothesized that there would be significant differences between the Yogic practices with diet modifications group (Group I) and Yogic practices without diet modifications group (group II) on selected Psychological variable Life satisfaction among aged diabetic women.

DELIMITATIONS

• The study was confined to aged diabetic women from Chennai City, India only.
• The age of the subject was ranged from 60 years to 70 years only.
• The study was confined to yogic practices and diet modification as independent variables only
• The study was confined to Life Satisfaction as dependent variable only.

LIMITATIONS

• The factors like Socio-Economical status were not taken into consideration.
• The climatic conditions were not considered.
• Factors like Life style habits were not taken into consideration.
• Subjects’ day to day activities were not taken into account.
• Medication followed by subjects was not controlled.
• Instructions were only given for Diet modification group. Personal verification was not done.

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Pradhan B and Nagendra H (2010) investigated the effect of two yoga-based relaxation techniques, namely, cyclic meditation and supine rest, using the six letter cancellation task.The subjects consisted of 208 school students, (132 boys, and 76 girls) in the age range of 13 - 16 years. The subjects’ assessed on six letters cancellation task before and immediately after both yoga-based relaxation techniques. After both practices, the total and net scores were significantly increased; although the magnitude of change was more after cyclic meditation than, after supine rest in the net scores (14.5 versus 11.31%). The net score change in the cyclic meditation session was significantly larger than the change in the supine rest, whereas, there was no significant change in the wrong cancellation score. After either practice, the total and net scores were significantly increased, irrespective of gender and age. Both cyclic meditation and supine rest led to improvement in performance, as assessed by six letter cancellation task, but the change caused by cyclic meditation was larger than supine rest.

METHODOLOGY

            The purpose of the study was to find out the effect of yogic practices with and without diet modifications on Life Satisfaction among the female Aged Diabetic women. For the purpose of this study, 100 aged diabetic women came forward, 70 were screened and 45 were selected randomly using random sampling method. The subjects are from Chennai and their age group ranges from 60 to 70.

            The subjects were divided into three groups, first group considered as Experimental Group - I underwent yogic practices with diet modifications and the second group considered as Experimental Group - II underwent yogic practices without diet modifications and third group consider as Control Group not attend any practices. The Training was for 12 weeks, six days a week for 60 minutes a day. The pre test and posttest was conducted before and after the training on the selected psychological variable. The collected data was statistically analyzed using the Analysis of Co-variance (ANCOVA).

Yogic practices given were Prayer, Pawanamukthasana, Suryanamaskar, Thadasana,  Ardha Kati Chakrasana, Kati Chakrasana, Shashankasana, ardha ustrasana,  vakarasana,

makarasana, Naukasana, Utthana padasana, Shavasan, Kapalabhathi, Ujjayi,

Anulomaviloma Pranayama, yoga Nidra. Group III : Control Group ( No Training).

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

The statistical analysis comparing initial and final means of life satisfaction due to yogic practices with and without diet modifications among aged Diabetic women is presented in the Table I.

 

Table I

COMPUTATION OF ANALYSIS OF COVARIANCE OF THE TWO EXPERIMENTAL GROUPS AND CONTROL GROUP ON LIFE SATISFACTION

(scores in marks)

Test	Exp. Gr. I	Exp. Gr. II	Cont. Group	Source of variance	Sum of squares	Degree of freedom	Means Squares	Obtained F value
PRE TEST	17.6	19.53	19.93	between	46.71	2	23.356	1.43
				within	686.27	42	16.34
POST TEST	25.53333	22.80	15.13	between	872.04	2	436.02	75.71*
				within	241.87	42	5.76
ADJUSTED POST TEST	25.32	22.88	15.27	between	791.30	2	395.65	71.56*
				within	226.687	41	5.53

   *Significant at 0.05 level of confidence. Table F ratio (0.05) (2,42 =3.22 and 2, 41 =   3.23).

The obtained F ratio on pre test scores 1.43 was lesser than the required F value of 3.22 to be significant at 0.05 level. This proved that there was no significant difference between the groups in pre test and the randomization at the pre test was equal. The posttest scores analysis proved that there was significant difference between the groups, as they obtained F value 75.71 was greater than the required F value of 3.22. This proved that the differences between the posttest means of the subjects were significant. Taking into consideration the pre and posttest scores among the groups, adjusted mean scores calculated. The obtained F value was 71.56, which was greater than required F value of 3.23. This proved that there was significant difference among the means due to twelve weeks of yogic practices with diet modification and yogic practices without diet modification on variables as in line with study conducted by Pradhan B and Nagendra H (2010).

Since significant improvement is recorded, the results were subjected to post hoc analysis using the scheffe’s confidence interval test.  The results were presented in the table II.

Table II

SCHEFFE’S POST-HOC TEST FOR LIFE SATISFACTION

Exp. Gr. I	Exp. Gr. II	Control group	Mean difference	C.I
25.32	22.88	-	2.45*	2.14
25.32	-	15.27	10.05*	2.14
-	22.88	15.27	7.61*	2.14

     *Significant at 0.05 level of confidence. Table F ratio (0.05) (2,42 =3.22 and 2, 41 =   3.23).

 

The obtained adjusted mean value is presented through bar diagram in the figure 1.

 

Figure – 1

Bar diagram showing the mean difference among Experimental Group I, Experimental Group II and Control Group of Life satisfaction (Scores in marks)

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*Significant at 0.05 level of confidence. Table F ratio (0.05) (2,42 =3.22 and 2, 41 =   3.23).

 

DISCUSSION ON HYPOTHESIS

                     It was hypothesized that there would be significant differences on selected Psychological variable  Life satisfaction due to yogic practices with and without diet modifications among aged diabetic women than the control group. The results proved that there were significant differences on life satisfaction (Improved) due to yogic practices than the control group among aged diabetic women. The hypothesis was accepted at 0.05 level of confidence.

It was hypothesized that there would be significant differences on selected Psychological variable Life satisfaction due to yogic practices with diet modifications and yogic practices without diet modifications among aged diabetic women than the control group. The results from the post hoc test proved that there were significant differences on Life satisfaction (Improved) due to yogic practices with diet modifications than due to yogic practices without diet modifications among aged diabetic women. Hence, the hypothesis is accepted at 0.05 level of confidence.

CONCLUSION

It is concluded that yogic practices with and without diet modifications improved life satisfaction significantly among aged diabetic women. Hence, yogic practices with and without diet modifications are beneficial to aged diabetic women to improved life satisfaction levels.

 

REFERENCES

1. Pradhan Balaram, Nagendra H R Immediate effect of two yoga-based relaxation techniques on attention in children, Year : 2010 | Volume: 3 | Issue Number: 2 | Page: 67-69
2. Nagarasan. Kand Saradha,M,“International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR)” ISSN: 2319-7064 ResearchGate Impact Factor (2018): 0.28 | SJIF (2018): 7.426