The Effect of Laughter Yoga on Spiritual Care Perception and Spiritual Well Being in Nursing Students

NCT07062029 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 2024/6-20
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 60
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if laughter yoga sessions improve spiritual well-being and perception of spiritual care among nursing students. The main questions it aims to answer are: Does laughter yoga increase the spiritual well-being scores of participants? Does laughter yoga improve participants' perception of spiritual care? Researchers will compare laughter yoga to no intervention (control group) to see if laughter yoga has an effect on spiritual well-being and spiritual care perception. Participants will: Attend laughter yoga sessions once a week for 4 weeks (intervention group) Complete questionnaires about their spiritual well-being and perception of spiritual care before and after the intervention Control group will not receive any intervention during this period, but will complete the same questionnaires at the same time points

Conditions

Spirituality; Spiritual Well-being; Laughter Yoga

Keywords

Nursing; Spiritual- Well Being; spiritual care; laugther yoga

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Change in Spiritual Well-Being Score

  Spiritual well-being will be measured using the Three-Factor Spiritual Well-Being Scale, which has a total score range from 29 to 145, with higher scores indicating greater spiritual well-being.

  1 week before intervention (baseline) and 1 week after completing the fourth session (Week 5)

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Change in Spirituality and Spiritual Care Rating Scale Score

  1 week before intervention (baseline) and 1 week after completing the fourth session (Week 5)

Study Arms (2)

Laughter Yoga Intervention

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants in this arm will attend laughter yoga sessions once a week for 4 weeks. Each session will last approximately 30 minutes and will be conducted by a certified laughter yoga leader in a quiet classroom environment where participants can move freely. The intervention aims to improve spiritual well-being and perception of spiritual care among nursing students.

Other: Laughter Yoga

Control Group

NO INTERVENTION

Participants in this arm will not receive any intervention during the 4-week study period. They will complete the same pretest and posttest questionnaires as the intervention group, at the same time points, to evaluate their spiritual well-being and perception of spiritual care.

Interventions

Laughter Yoga OTHER

The laughter yoga intervention consists of four sessions conducted once a week for four weeks. Each session lasts approximately 30 minutes and includes four components: * Warm-up exercises with clapping and rhythmic movements * Deep breathing exercises * Childlike playful activities and laughter exercises * Laughter meditation and relaxation Sessions are led by a certified laughter yoga leader in a quiet classroom setting that allows participants to move freely and comfortably. The intervention is designed to improve spiritual well-being and perception of spiritual care among nursing students.

Laughter Yoga Intervention

Eligibility Criteria

• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Being a third- or fourth-year nursing student enrolled in the Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Nursing at Izmir Demokrasi University during the 2024-2025 academic year
• Volunteering to participate in the study

You may not qualify if:

• Irregular attendance to the intervention sessions
• Failure to complete all sessions
• Voluntary withdrawal from the study
• Having a diagnosis of a respiratory disease (e.g., asthma, bronchitis, dyspnea)
• Having a diagnosis of inguinal hernia or epilepsy
• Having undergone abdominal surgery within the last three to six months

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Izmir Democracy University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Izmir Democracy University

Izmir, Konak, 35250, Turkey (Türkiye)

Location

MeSH Terms

Interventions

Laughter Therapy

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Mind-Body Therapies; Complementary Therapies; Therapeutics

Study Officials

• Sadiye Associate Professor, PhD

  Izmir Democracy University

  STUDY DIRECTOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: SUPPORTIVE CARE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Research Assistant

Model Details: This study was a randomized controlled trial with intervention and control groups. Sixty 3rd- and 4th-year nursing students provided informed consent and were randomized using randomizer.org and the URN method by drawing colored balls (green=intervention, white=control). The intervention group attended laughter yoga sessions twice a week for 4 weeks (each \~30 mins) led by a certified laughter yoga leader in a quiet, temperature-controlled lab suitable for movement. Sessions included warm-up, breathing, playful activities, and laughter exercises. Before the first session, students received an educational presentation and brochure. The control group received no intervention. Data were collected using the Spirituality and Spiritual Care Rating Scale and Three-Factor Spiritual Well-Being Scale 1 week before and 1 week after intervention.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: July 2, 2025
• First Posted: July 14, 2025
• Study Start: September 20, 2024
• Primary Completion: October 21, 2024
• Study Completion: November 25, 2024
• Last Updated: July 14, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-07

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

TU (1)