Abstract
BackgroundSleep disturbance in older people is an important health issue that is associated with many other health problems. Effective interventions are required to address sleep problems in this group. Acupressure has been suggested as a potential therapeutic technique to improve sleep. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of an acupressure intervention on sleep quality, anxiety, depression, and quality of life among older persons in residential aged care facilities within an Australian context.Methods/designThis is a randomised controlled trial with two parallel groups in a pre- and post-test study. Study participants will be older people living in residential aged care facilities. They will be assigned to intervention and control groups using computer-generated random numbers. The intervention group will receive 12-min acupressure three times per week for four consecutive weeks, applied on three acupoints: HT7, PC6, and SP6. The control group will receive only routine care. The primary outcome measure is sleep quality, and secondary outcomes include anxiety, depression, and quality of life. Data will be collected before the intervention, immediately after the end of the intervention, and 2 weeks after the intervention.DiscussionThis study targets a poorly met healthcare need of older people who are experiencing sleep disturbance and its negative consequences. To the researchers’ knowledge, this is the first study evaluating acupressure in an Australian aged care context, using specific acupoints and a standardised acupressure protocol. If the results show positive outcomes, acupressure could be used to manage sleep disturbances for older people in the Australian context as well as in the global ageing population. This will contribute to reducing negative consequences of sleep disturbance and use of sleep medications.Trial registrationAustralian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry: ACTRN12619000262101. Registered on 20 February 2019.
Highlights
Sleep disturbances increase with advancing age, with the prevalent rate approaching 50% in older people aged 65 and above [1]
Study aim and hypotheses This study aims to evaluate the effects of an acupressure intervention, using three specific acupoints (HT7, PC6 and SP6), on sleep quality, anxiety, depression, and quality of life (QoL) of older people in Residential aged care facility (RACF) in Australia
This study is designed to investigate the effects of an acupressure intervention on sleep quality and associated conditions, namely depression, anxiety, and QoL, among older people living in RACFs in an Australian context
Summary
Sleep disturbances increase with advancing age, with the prevalent rate approaching 50% in older people aged 65 and above [1]. Insomnia and sleep problems were related to high level of anxiety and depression; on the other hand, anxiety and depression were related to insomnia [7] These health and psychosocial issues are especially pertinent for older people in residential care. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of an acupressure intervention on sleep quality, anxiety, depression, and quality of life among older persons in residential aged care facilities within an Australian context. Sleep disturbance in older people is a multifactorial geriatric health issue that calls for a comprehensive treatment approach, with consideration of multiple risk factors such as comorbid diseases, side effects of medications, and psychosocial factors [1, 13]. Sleep disturbance in older people is often treated with medications, which have potential adverse effects: drowsiness, poor concentration, loss of memory, and drug dependence [15, 16]. Use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) may be beneficial for sleep improvement in older people
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