Stress is defined as the ‘‘wear and tear” the body experiences as it adjusts to pressure or a threating situation. Many factors can contribute to medical school being a very stressful environment. Some of those factors include: extensive curricula, numerous academic requirements, frequent, difficult and various types of examinations. High levels of stress has negative effects on the physical and mental health of medical students. Personal and environmental events that cause stress are known as stressors. Stressors of medical students generally were grouped into six categories; academic related stressors (ARS), intrapersonal and interpersonal related stressors (IRS), teaching and learning-related stressors (TLRS), social related stressors (SRS), drive and desire related stressors (DRS), and group activities related stressors (GARS). Pranayama is derived from two sanskrit words- Prana (life) or Ayama (control). Prana means an inner life force, which provides energy to different organs and control vital life processes. Ayama means voluntary effort to control and direct the prana. Pranayama involves manipulation of the breath, which is a dynamic bridge between body and mind. Breathing exercise (pranayama) for a minimum of 3 weeks are reported to influence cardiorespiratory and autonomic functions. Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) also referred to as aerobic capacity is one of the most important components of physical fitness. It is the ability of the body to perform dynamic, large-muscle exercise, for prolonged periods, at moderate-to high intensity. Maximum oxygen consumption (VO₂max) is considered to be the most widely accepted measure of CRF giving a baseline estimate of one’s heart and lung capacity and can be used to follow the progress of daily physical exercise.

Aim:-  Evaluate the Impact of Pranayam on Stress and Cardiorespiratory Fitness among First year MBBS students at RUHS College of Medical Sciences Jaipur.

Objectives of study are:

1.      Primary Objective: To evaluate the impact of pranayam on stress score and cardiorespiratory fitness among first year MBBS students  at RUHS college

of Medical Science Jaipur at baseline, three month and six month.

2.      Secondary objective:

• ·     To assess and correlate VO₂ max with  academic related stress score (ARS)

at baseline, three months and six months after pranayam intervention.

• ·        To assess and correlate VO₂ max with Intrapersonal and interpersonal related stress score (IRS) at baseline, three months and six months after pranayam intervention.
• ·         To assess and correlate VO₂ max with Teaching and learning-related stress score (TLRS)

at baseline, three months and six months after pranayam intervention.

• ·         To assess and correlate VO₂ max with Social related stress score (SRS)

at baseline, three months and six months after pranayam intervention.

• ·         To assess and correlate VO₂ max with Drive and desire related stress score (DRS)

at baseline, three months and six months after pranayam intervention.

• ·         To assess and correlate VO₂ max with Group activities related stress score (GARS)

at baseline, three months and six months after pranayam intervention.

• ·         To assess and correlate academic related stressors (ARS), intrapersonal and interpersonal related stressors (IRS), teaching and learning-related stressors (TLRS), social related stressors (SRS), drive and desire related stressors (DRS), and group activities related stressors (GARS) at baseline, three months and at six months.

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METHODS:-

1. Study design: Observational type

2. Study place: Department of physiology at RUHS College of Medical Sciences, Jaipur.

3. Study Universe: All first year MBBS students of either sex from RUHS College of Medical Sciences, Jaipur.

4. Study population: First year MBBS students of either sex, shall be included from RUHS college of Medical Sciences Jaipur who will given written informed consent form.

5. Study duration: 1 year

  Data collection: 8 month

  Data analysis: 4 month

6. Sample size:  Out of 150 students who will give written informed consent form.

7. Inclusion criteria:

 A) First MBBS students in the age group of 18-25 years voluntarily involved.

B) Students without history of major illness in past like diabetes mellitus, depression, obesity.

8. Exclusion criteria:

A) Subjects who participated any physical activity like yoga, exercise in past 1 year.

B) Subject having musculoskeletal disorder Kyphosis, Scoliosis

C) Subjects with any cardiopulmonary disease like chronic bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, congestive heart failure, emphysema

D) History of major trauma, cardiothoracic surgery.

INTERVENTION

We will give pranayam training. Students will perform the pranayama in the morning for 30 minutes, six days in a week, for 24 weeks under expert’s observation. Data collection will be done at baseline, three months and six months of pranayam.

CARDIORESPIRATORY FITNESS:- We will asses cardiorespiratory fitness by VO₂max. For determination of VO₂max we are here using direct method AD Instrument Gas analyzer (model-ML206)

QUESTIONNAIRE: Medical Student Stressor Questionnaire (MSSQ) for stress score and Global physical activity questionnaire (GPAQ) for assessment of physical activity will be use at baseline, three months and after six months of pranayam intervention.

We are performing this study to evaluate the impact of Pranayam on Stress and Cardiorespiratory Fitness among First year MBBS students at RUHS College of Medical Sciences Jaipur.