Effects of a program of body practices on depression levels and quality of life of depressive women

Abstract

The study aimed to compare the quality of life and depressive symptoms before and after a body practices program for women with depression, as well as to correlate depressive symptoms with quality of life. For that, a quantitative intervention methodology was used, with a sample of 12 women from a Basic Health Unit. Data were analyzed by paired Student's t test and also by Pearson's Linear Correlation. A statistical significance level of 5% was adopted. It was evident that after the body practices program, women with depression improved in the psychological domain of quality of life (pre test= 3.33±0.62; post test= 3.47±0.71; p=0.126) and that the higher the level of depression, the lower the quality of life of these women (C=0.001* and p= -0.817). In addition, that there is a strong relationship between the total result of quality of life and domain 1 (r>0.8) with depressive symptoms and a moderate relationship between domain 3 (r>0.4) with depressive symptoms. It is concluded that the levels of depression and quality of life are inversely proportional, and that body practices can help in the psychological domain of people with depression.