School of Nursing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
Age Ageing. 2020 Apr 27;49(3):341-351. doi: 10.1093/ageing/afaa019.
Non-pharmacological interventions are widely used to treat fatigue in clients with specific diseases but the findings may not be applicable to older adults experiencing fatigue, which also relates to the physiological changes of ageing. Non-pharmacological interventions for fatigue alleviation in older adults have not been reviewed and meta-analysed.
To evaluate the immediate and long-term effects of non-pharmacological interventions on fatigue in community-dwelling older adults.
Randomised controlled trials published from 2008 to May 2018 were searched in CINAHL, Cochrane Library, Embase, Medline, PsycINFO, PubMed and Web of Science databases. The reference lists of the publications, forward citation and clinical trial registries were also reviewed. Relevant data were extracted and meta-analysis was conducted using Cochrane Review Manager 5.3.
Eight studies, with a total of 1093 participants, were identified. Non-pharmacological interventions included mindfulness meditation, a behavioural lifestyle programme, muscle relaxation, pet insect-assisted therapy, yoga, Tai Chi and cognitive behavioural therapy. Non-pharmacological interventions elicited significant immediate positive effects on fatigue (SMD: -0.40, 95% CI -0.62 to -0.18), although there was no lasting effect. Both physical and cognitive/mental interventions effectively alleviated fatigue.
Non-pharmacological interventions appear to be effective in alleviating fatigue at immediate post-intervention in community-dwelling older adults. More studies with robust designs and adequate sample sizes are needed in the future.
非药物干预措施被广泛用于治疗特定疾病患者的疲劳，但这些发现可能不适用于因衰老导致的生理性变化而感到疲劳的老年人。尚未对非药物干预措施缓解老年人疲劳进行综述和荟萃分析。
评估非药物干预措施对社区居住的老年人疲劳的即时和长期影响。
检索 2008 年至 2018 年 5 月期间在 CINAHL、Cochrane 图书馆、Embase、Medline、PsycINFO、PubMed 和 Web of Science 数据库中发表的随机对照试验。还查阅了出版物的参考文献列表、正向引文和临床试验注册处。提取相关数据并使用 Cochrane Review Manager 5.3 进行荟萃分析。
确定了 8 项研究，共纳入 1093 名参与者。非药物干预措施包括正念冥想、行为生活方式方案、肌肉放松、宠物昆虫辅助治疗、瑜伽、太极和认知行为疗法。非药物干预措施在疲劳方面即刻产生了显著的积极效果（SMD：-0.40，95%CI -0.62 至 -0.18），但没有持久效果。身体和认知/心理干预都能有效地缓解疲劳。
非药物干预措施似乎能有效缓解社区居住的老年人的疲劳，在干预后即刻有效。未来需要更多设计稳健、样本量充足的研究。
