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The efficacy of mind-body (Baduanjin) exercise on self-reported sleep quality and quality of life in elderly subjects with sleep disturbances: a randomized controlled trial

  • Psychiatrics • Original Article
  • Published:
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Abstract

Objectives

To examine the efficacy of a 24-week Baduanjin exercise program on self-reported sleep quality and quality of life in community-dwelling elderly subjects with sleep disturbances.

Methods

Community-dwelling elderly men and women meeting criteria for sleep disturbances (i.e., Pittsburgh Sleep Quality of Index (PSQI) score ≥ 5) were recruited and randomized to a Baduanjin exercise intervention group or a control group. Participants in the intervention group completed five 45-min exercise sessions per week for 24 weeks, while those in control group were instructed to maintain their usual lifestyle behaviors.

Results

A total of 139 participants were enrolled and randomized. Sixty-two of 67 participants in the intervention group (response rate of 92.5%) and 57 of 72 participants (response rate of 79.6%) in the control group completed intervention and follow-up. The intervention group reported significant improvements in overall sleep quality after 24 weeks compared with those randomized to control (PSQI endpoint-to-baseline change = − 2.6 ± 4.0 vs. − 0.5 ± 4.2, time × group interaction p = 0.007). Intervention group participants had higher response rates at both week 12 (23.9% vs. 9.7%, p = 0.025) and week 24 (40.3% vs. 15.3%, p = 0.001) when compared with the control group. There was a trend that the intervention group had increased quality of life (The Short Form Health Survey [SF-36] endpoint=tobaseline change 6.3 ± 10.9 vs. 2.2 ± 10.9, time × group interaction p = 0.06) when compared with the control group.

Conclusions

Baduanjin exercise is an effective and feasible approach to improve self-reported sleep quality but less likely the quality of life in community-dwelling elderly men and women with sleep disturbances.

Trial registration

Effect of Baduanjin Exercise on the Elderly’s Sleep; http://www.chictr.org.cn/listbycreater.aspx; ChiCTR1800014706, registered 1 January 2018.

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Abbreviations

PSQI:

Pittsburgh Sleep Quality of Index

SF-36:

The Short Form Health Survey

BMI:

body mass index

PCS:

physical component summary

MHS:

mental health summary

LOCF:

last observation carry-forward

ANOVA:

analysis of variance

β-IL1:

interleukin-1 beta

IL 6:

interleukin-6

CRP:

C-reactive protein

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Acknowledgments

The author would like to thank Health Qigong Management Center of the State Sports General Administration for providing tutors training. This assistance was supported by the National Center for Chronic and Non-communicable Disease Control and Prevention, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, Shenzhen Nanshan Center for Chronic Disease Control, Nanshan, Shenzhen, China

    Beifang Fan, Weidong Song, Bo Xie, Huimin Zhang, Yuhua Liao, Chengmin Wang & Xiaohui Hu

  2. Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China

    Jihui Zhang

  3. The National Center for Chronic and Non-communicable Disease Control and Prevention, The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Xicheng District, Beijing, China

    Yuliang Er

  4. Mood Disorders Psychopharmacology Unit, University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada

    Roger Mcintyre & Yena Lee

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  1. Beifang Fan
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Correspondence to Weidong Song.

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Fan, B., Song, W., Zhang, J. et al. The efficacy of mind-body (Baduanjin) exercise on self-reported sleep quality and quality of life in elderly subjects with sleep disturbances: a randomized controlled trial. Sleep Breath 24, 695–701 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11325-019-01999-w

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