Diaphragmatic and Box Breathing on Heart Rate Variability and Perceived Stress
Trial statusRecruiting
Trial phaseNot applicable
Trial typeInterventional
Biological sexAll
Age18-25
SponsorCairo University
About this trial
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if diaphragmatic breathing and box breathing work to enhance resilience and manage stress in physical therapy students. It will also learn about their effects on overall physiological and psychological parameters. The main questions it aims to answer are:
Do these breathing techniques improve heart rate variability (HRV)?
How do these interventions affect participants' perceived stress levels, cognitive performance, and academic achievement?
Researchers will compare diaphragmatic breathing and box breathing to a control group to see if these non-invasive methods work to improve physiological adaptation and manage stress.
Participants will:
Be randomly assigned to practice diaphragmatic breathing, practice box breathing, or join a control group Have their heart rate variability (HRV) measured as a primary sign of physiological adaptation Complete assessments to evaluate their perceived stress, cognitive performance, and academic achievement
Eligibility criteria
This trial accepts healthy volunteersQualifiers
Academic Status: Currently enrolled, full-time undergraduate Physical Therapy students
Age Range: 18-25 years
Health Status: Generally healthy individuals with no known chronic respiratory or cardiovascular diseases.
Informed Consent: Ability and willingness to provide written informed consent and commit to the 4-week protocol (6 sessions/week).
Disqualifiers
Pre-existing Breathing Expertise: Individuals with professional training in yoga (Pranayama), formal meditation, or advanced breath work that might bias the baseline results.
Medical Conditions: Diagnosed respiratory conditions (e.g., Asthma, COPD).
Cardiovascular issues (e.g., Arrhythmias, Hypertension).
Clinical psychological disorders (e.g., Generalized Anxiety Disorder or Panic Disorder) that may require medication.
Trial design
Design model
Parallel
Treatments tested in this trial
Diaphramatic Breathing Training
BehavioralDiaphragmatic Breathing Group: Participants will sit comfortably with their hands in their abdomen. They will: * Inhale through the nose for 4 seconds * Exhale through the mouth for 6 seconds * Focus on abdominal expansion and relaxation * Continue for 15 minutes, 6 sessions/week, for 4 weeks
Box Breathing Training
BehavioralBox Breathing Group: Participants will perform a structured breath cycle: * Inhale for 4 seconds * Hold for 4 seconds * Exhale for 4 seconds * Hold for 4 seconds
Treatment groups
60 Participants
are divided into 3 treatment groupsGroup A: Diaphragmatic Breathing GroupExperimental treatment 1 intervention
Group B: Box Breathing GroupExperimental treatment 1 intervention
Group C: Control GroupNo intervention 0 interventions
Trial outcomes
Primary outcomes
1
Heart Rate Variability
HRV will be measured using the Polar H10 sensor and analyzed through Kubios HRV software to evaluate physiological resilience and autonomic nervous system regulation.
Time frame
Baseline (pre-intervention) and at the end of the 4-week training period (post-intervention).2
Perceived Stress
Stress will be measured using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10). The total score ranges from a minimum of 0 to a maximum of 40. Higher scores indicate higher levels of perceived stress, representing a worse outcome
Time frame
Baseline (pre-intervention) and at the end of the 4-week training period (post-intervention).3
Resilience
Resilience will be measured using the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS). The score ranges from a minimum of 1 to a maximum of 5. Higher scores indicate higher levels of resilience, representing a better outcome
Time frame
Baseline (pre-intervention) and at the end of the 4-week training period (post-intervention).Secondary outcomes
1
Cognitive Performance
Cognitive performance will be assessed using the Stroop Color-Word Test. The score represents the number of correct responses. The minimum possible score is 0, with no strictly defined maximum. Higher scores indicate better cognitive performance, representing a better outcome
Time frame
Baseline (pre-intervention) and at the end of the 4-week training period (post-intervention).2
Academic Achievement
Academic achievement will be assessed using the 9-item Academic Self-Efficacy Scale (ASE). The total score ranges from a minimum of 9 to a maximum of 63. Higher scores indicate higher levels of academic self-efficacy, representing a better outcome
Time frame
Baseline (pre-intervention) and at the end of the 4-week training period (post-intervention).Sponsors and contacts
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Source ClinicalTrials.gov