Pages: 12-23

Abstract

The most common disability in children and adults is hearing disabilities which are seen in different people with different levels. Since deaf and hearing-impaired children have their own limitations and problems in terms of physical and mental aspects, imbalance due to damage to sensory integration and motor development is one of the defect seen in most people with hearing disabilities. This study aimed to investigate the effects of 8 weeks of yoga on posture control and the quality of life in female hearing impaired adolescents. Method: this study is quasi-experimental and the samples were randomly selected by convenience sampling method. Twenty-eight 15-17 years old female students were selected from Mir Isfahan high school for hearing-impaired students (age: 15.591.84, tall: 151.6435.5128, weight: 48.466.173). The students with moderate to severe hearing loss (30.105.88 dB) were selected. They were grouped into two control (15 students) and experimental group (13 students). The research tools were Stork Balance Stand Test, Y test, hearing impaired youth-related quality of life inventory. They did yoga three times a week and for 8 weeks. The data was analyzed by using ANOVA test and SPSS V.18 software. Results: doing yoga is effective (P≤%5). The results showed that there is a difference between the groups in terms of static and dynamic balance (P≤%5). In other words, when changes in the scores of the groups are investigated separately, increase in mentioned variables can be seen and there is significant difference between the patterns of changes within groups. The results showed that there is a different between the groups in terms of the quality of life (P≤%5). In other words, when changes in the scores of the groups are investigated separately, increase in mentioned variables can be seen and there is significant difference between the patterns of changes within groups. After 8 weeks of yoga, significant increase has been seen in static balance and dynamic balance (anterior, medial, lateral) of 15-17 years old girls (static balance (F=35.701, P=0.000), anterior dynamic balance (F=38.823, P=0.000), medial dynamic balance (F=35.402, P=0.000), lateral dynamic balance (F=40.094, P=0.000)) and also, the quality of life in hearing impaired adolescents has been enhanced (quality of life-physical dimension (F=40.094, P=0.000), quality of life-emotional aspect (F=30.337, P=0.000), quality of life-social dimension (F=13.505, P=0.001), quality of life (F=35.097, P=0.000)). Conclusion: the results showed that yoga exercises used in this research can be efficient training method for improving static balance, dynamic balance and quality of life in female hearing impaired adolescents. Therefore, it seems, this exercise protocol can be introduced and used as useful complementary method to reduce some problems in hearing-impaired adolescents.