The Effect of Eight Weeks of Online Body Balance Program on Anxiety, Depression and Aggression of Children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

During the Covid-۱۹ pandemic, the use of online sports programs became popular. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of eight weeks of online body balance program on anxiety, depression, and aggression of children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Body balance is a sport based on yoga, tai chi, and Pilates. The present study was a semi-experimental and applied type of study. The participants of the present study were ۳۰ volunteer children with ADHD who were divided into two experimental (۱۵ people) and control (۱۵ people) groups by random assignment method. Aggression, depression, and anxiety variables were evaluated by Bass and Perry questionnaire, Maria Kvas children's depression questionnaire, and Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale. The experimental group performed online body balance training for ۸ weeks (۳ sessions per week for ۶۰ minutes) online, and the control group did their current activities. In order to investigate intra-group and inter-group differences, repeated measures ANOVA at the error level of ۰.۰۵ was used by SPSS software. The results showed there was significant difference in the average level of symptoms of depression, anxiety and aggression in the pre-test and post-test stages (P≤۰.۰۵), between the two control and experimental groups (P≤۰.۰۵) and the interaction effect of time and group (P≤۰.۰۵). The results of Tukey's test showed that there was a significant reduction of these symptoms between the two experimental and control groups in the variables of depression symptoms (-۵.۵۰۰), anxiety symptoms (-۵.۱۳۳) and aggression symptoms (-۱۳.۱۳۳). Based on the results of this research, eight weeks of body balance training reduced depression, aggression and anxiety symptoms in ۷-۹ year old children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Therefore, the improvement of mental disorders caused by this disease in children following the body balance exercise program emphasizes the importance of using this intervention method for children with ADHD.

Keywords:

Body balance , hyperactivity , anxiety , depression , aggression.