Effects of Mat Pilates on the Quality of Life of Health Sciences Students: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Abstract

Introduction: Pilates has been proven effective in promoting physical and mental health, emerging as a promising strategy in the university setting. Objective: To assess the effects of mat Pilates on the quality of life of health sciences students. Materials and Methods: This is a randomized clinical trial conducted with 93 participants, randomly assigned to the experimental (n = 46) and the control groups (n = 47), with the sample size calculated based on a previous pilot study. Participants were individuals aged ≥ 18 years, enrolled in health-related courses, who had not practiced Pilates within three months prior to the study, and who had no recent history of pregnancy or childbirth. The intervention consisted of 16 sessions of mat Pilates, held twice a week, each lasting 40 minutes. Quality of life was assessed using the WHOQOL- BREF. For data analysis, paired and independent t-tests were used for parametric variables, and the Wilcoxon and Mann-Whitney tests were used for non-parametric variables. The protocol was registered in the Brazilian Registry of Clinical Trials under code RBR-8xzpdbc. Results: In the intragroup analysis, the experimental group showed significant improvement in the physical (p = 0.002) and psychological (p = 0.001) domains, and the control group in the social domain (p = 0.003). In the intergroup comparison, significant improvements were observed in the physical (p = 0.001), psychological (p = 0.011), and social (p = 0.003) domains, with moderate effects (Cohen’s d: physical = 0.69; psychological = 0.54; social = 0.53). Conclusion: Mat Pilates has proven to be effective in improving the quality of life for health sciences students. In the nursing field, such strategies expand the range of health promotion initiatives, enabling more sensitive, humanized, and effective interventions in the university setting.