A structured laughter yoga therapy program on patients with chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting: A randomized clinical trial

Objetive: Chemotherapy is a prevalent cancer treatment, often accompanied by debilitating side effects such as nausea and vomiting. This study explores the potential effectiveness of laughter yoga, a combination of exercise and voluntary laughter, in alleviating chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. Methods: This two-group randomized clinical trial was conducted on 69 cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy at the Reza Chemotherapy and Oncology Center, Mashhad, Iran, in 2018. Patients were randomly divided into intervention and control groups. Both groups received routine self-care training, with the addition of four 20 -min to 30 -min laughter yoga sessions held immediately before one of their chemotherapy appointments for the intervention group only. Nausea and vomiting were assessed using the Morrow Assessment of Nausea and Emesis questionnaire at two stages, before and after the intervention. Data were analyzed with Chi-square, Independent -t, Mann-Whitney, Wilcoxon, and McNemar tests using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Results: The mean age of patients in the intervention group was 49.0 +/- 9.6 years, while in the control group, it was45.2 +/- 12.6 years. The intragroup comparison showed a statistically significant decrease in the severity and duration of nausea in the intervention group and a statistically significant increase in the severity and duration of nausea in the control group from pre -test to post -test (P < 0.05). The intergroup comparison showed no statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of vomiting conditions. Conclusions: Laughter yoga demonstrates promise in improving chemotherapy-induced nausea, suggesting its potential recommendation for managing this distressing side effect. Further research is warranted to explore its broader application in cancer care.