The Impact of Community-Based Yoga on Mental Health Among Urban Populations: Advancing SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-Being)

Objective: To evaluate ithe ieffect iof ian i8-week community-based iyoga program on urban adults’ imental ihealth—stress, anxiety, and depression (DASS-21)—and on secondary outcomes (sleep quality, perceived social support, subjective well-being), supporting SDG 3. Theoretical Framework: Grounded in the biopsychosocial model, stress–coping theory, polyvagal theory, social support/collective efficacy, and self-determination theory. The model posits that yoga enhances mindfulness, autonomic regulation/vagal tone, and social support, thereby reducing allostatic load and symptoms. Method: iQuasi-iexperimental iprei-itest–ipost-itest icontrol-igroup idesign in Kediri City, East Java (March–May 2025). Purposive sample of 60 adults (20–45 years) allocated to iintervention (n=30) ior iwait-ilist icontrol (n=30). Intervention: twice-weekly, 60-minute sessions (asana, pranayama, brief meditation) for 8 weeks. Measures at baseline and Week 8: DASS-21 subscales (primary); single-item sleep, brief social-support scale, and Likert well-being (secondary). Analysis: paired/independent tests, ANCOVA, Cohen’s d, MCID proportion. Results and Discussion: The intervention group showed larger reductions in DASS-21 Stress/Anxiety/Depression and higher MCID attainment versus controls, alongside improvements in sleep, social support, and well-being. Findings align with prior reviews on yoga/mindfulness benefits and support the proposed mechanisms (mindfulness–autonomic–social pathways). Research Implications: Community-based yoga is a feasible, low-cost promotive–preventive strategy for urban mental health and can be integrated into primary care/community programs advancing SDG 3. Originality/Value: Provides pragmatic, community-level evidence from an Indonesian urban setting with standardized outcomes and adherence reporting, addressing gaps in context-specific trials and implementation relevance.