The Effect of Yoga on the Quality of Life in the Children and Adolescents with Haemophilia

The problems caused by haemophilia lead to impairments of the quality of life in patients with haemophilia. This study aimed to investigate the effects of yoga on quality of life in the children and adolescents with haemophilia in Shiraz, Iran. This semi-experimental study with pre- and post-test design was performed on 27 boys between 8 and 16 years old who suffered from haemophilia. The patients were divided into two groups. The number of bleedings, absences from school, and referrals to the clinic was evaluated. The demographic data were collected through interviews and using the patients' records in the haemophilia center. Besides, the quality of life was assessed through the Haemo-QoL questionnaire. Then, the yoga intervention was performed for 14 weeks and the data were collected in three stages. The collected data were entered into the SPSS statistical software, version 18 and were analyzed using non-parametric Friedman test. After the intervention, significant differences were observed in the mean scores of quality of life dimensions and the number of bleedings, school absences, and referrals to the haemophilia clinic (P<0.001). Thus, yoga may improve the haemophilia children's and adolescents' perception of quality of life without the risk of injury. This intervention also seemed to be effective in reducing the number of bleedings, referrals to the haemophilia clinic, and absences from school.