The Healing Power of Laughter: The Effect of Laughter Yoga on Vital Signs and Test Anxiety in Nursing Students

This randomized controlled experimental study investigated the effects of laughter yoga on vital signs and test anxiety among nursing students. The sample consisted of 136 nursing students (68 experimental and 68 control) from a university in eastern Turkey. The experimental group participated in laughter yoga sessions twice weekly for 4 weeks, while the control group received no intervention. Data were collected using a Personal Information Form, vital sign Chart, and Test Anxiety Scale. Descriptive statistics and independent and paired t tests were used for analyses. The experimental group showed significantly lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure and test anxiety levels, as well as higher oxygen saturation compared with the control group. These findings suggest that laughter yoga may be an effective, low-cost complementary intervention to improve physiological parameters and reduce test anxiety in nursing students.