Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of practicing yoga on the quality of life in HIV/AIDS patients. This quasi-experimental research was conducted using 50 subjects who were diagnosed as HIV/AIDS patients at the Infection and Immunological Clinic of the Outpatient Department, Siriraj Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand. The samples who were volunteers were divided into two groups, 25 subjects each. These two groups –the control group and the experimental one – were practically identical in terms of characteristics such as sex and age. For eight weeks, the control group was given routine care and treatment only while the experimental one practiced yoga in addition to receiving routine care and treatment. The quality of life was measured with the Thai version of the SF- 36. An analysis of covariance was used to compare differences between the experimental and the control groups. The results indicated that the experimental group’s overall score for its quality of life was higher than that of the control one. For the experimental group, the scores of five out of eight health dimensions, including PF, BP, GH, VT ,and MH, were significantly higher than those in the control group. The conclusion to be drawn from this is obvious. HIV/AIDS patients who practiced yoga in addition to receiving their normal treatment improved their mental and physical well-being; therefore, yoga should be promoted accordingly to improve HIV/AIDS patients’ quality of life.