Evaluation of Yoga for Substance Use Risk Factors in a School Setting

Mass General Brigham

Status: Completed

Conditions: Adolescent Development

Treatments: Behavioral: Yoga during physical education

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; NIH

Identifiers

NCT01821950

2007P002600B

R34DA032756 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study will evaluate the efficacy of yoga taught during school to positively influence risk and protective factors of substance use and the initiation and severity of substance use. The study hypothesis is that, compared to a control group participating in regular physical education classes, subjects who participate in 32 yoga sessions across an academic year will improve in negative internalizing behaviors and self-regulatory skills that are known risk and protective factors for substance use. This study will also test the hypothesis that the yoga intervention will reduce both severity of substance use and the degree of substance use initiation.

Full description

The long-term, programmatic goal of this research is to advance prevention of addictive behaviors especially substance use in normal adolescent psychological development. The overall goal of this proposal is to pilot test a novel, preventive intervention for adolescent substance use. More specifically, it will evaluate the efficacy of yoga taught during school to positively influence risk and protective factors of substance use and the initiation and severity of substance use.

This study involves a group randomized, controlled trial of yoga compared to physical education-as-usual for one school year, with a 6-month and 1-year follow-up, in order to accomplish the following specific aims:

Specific Aim 1 - To evaluate the efficacy of a school-based yoga program for reducing negative internalizing behaviors (negative mood, perceived stress, impulsivity) which are risk factors for adolescent substance use.

Specific Aim 2 - To evaluate the efficacy of this yoga program for promoting self-regulatory skills as protective factors against substance use in adolescence.

Specific Aim 3 - To conduct a preliminary evaluation of the efficacy of this yoga program for reducing substance use initiation and severity of use.

Enrollment: 211 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 11 to 14 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion and exclusion criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• Registered for physical education class

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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211 participants in 2 patient groups

Physical education as usual

No Intervention group

Description:

Physical education curriculum established by the school, including competitive sports, aerobic and anaerobic activities, balance and coordination skills. Yoga is not a component of the curriculum.

Yoga during physical education

Experimental group

Description:

12 to 16 weeks of group yoga classes (approximately 32 classes per student), 30-45 minutes per class, 2-3 times per week, during physical education class. Yoga program includes physical postures and movement, breathing exercises, partner/group games, deep relaxation and meditative techniques.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Yoga during physical education