The Effect of Yoga and Meditation on Menstrual Cycle Regularity Among Adolescent Girls at SMK Bakti Utama Pati

Abstract

Menstrual cycle irregularity is one of the most common reproductive health problems among adolescent girls and is frequently associated with hormonal imbalance, psychological stress, physical inactivity, and unhealthy lifestyles. Non-pharmacological interventions, such as yoga and meditation, have been widely recognized for their potential to improve hormonal regulation through stress reduction and neuroendocrine modulation. This study aimed to determine the effect of yoga and meditation on menstrual cycle regularity among adolescent girls at SMK Bakti Utama Pati. A quasi-experimental study with a one-group pretest-posttest design was conducted involving 22 respondents selected from a population of 116 adolescent girls using purposive sampling. Participants received a structured yoga and meditation intervention, while menstrual cycle regularity was assessed based on menstrual cycle length recorded using a menstrual cycle monitoring sheet. Data were analyzed using the Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test. Before the intervention, 18 respondents (81.8%) had irregular menstrual cycles and 4 respondents (18.2%) had regular cycles. After the intervention, the number of respondents with regular menstrual cycles increased to 17 (77.3%), while only 5 respondents (22.7%) remained irregular. The median menstrual cycle length decreased from 40 days before the intervention to 31 days after the intervention, with a statistically significant difference (p<0.001). These findings indicate that yoga and meditation effectively improve menstrual cycle regularity and may serve as safe, non-pharmacological interventions to support reproductive health promotion among adolescent girls.