Aydemir Tuğba, Taşcı Sultan, Bayraktar Muhammet, Saz Ali
Department of Medical Services and Techniques, Department of First and Emergency Aid, Niğde Zübeyde Hanım Vocational School of Health Services, Niğde Ömer Halisdemir University, 51200, Niğde, Turkey.
Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey.
Eur Geriatr Med. 2023 Oct;14(5):1135-1144. doi: 10.1007/s41999-023-00842-6. Epub 2023 Jul 21.
This study aims to evaluate the effect of acupressure on constipation symptoms and quality of life in older people.
The study was a double-blind, randomized, sham-controlled, qualitative and quantitative mixed-method study. Individuals in the acupressure group received acupressure for 21 min per day for a total of 12 sessions. The other group received sham acupressure for the same duration. Constipation Assessment Scale (CAS), Constipation Quality of Life Scale (PAC-QOL), Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and individual follow-up form were used to evaluate quantitative data, and semi-structured interview form was used to evaluate qualitative data.
A total of 81 participants were randomized to acupressure (n = 41, mean age: 70.56 ± 4.76, 70.7% female) or sham acupressure (n = 40, mean age: 71.17 ± 5.19, 67.5% female). Repeated measurements of the participants showed that CAS scores differed significantly between acupressure applications (p < 0.001). There were also statistically significant differences between the two groups in PAC-QOL and VAS after the application, number of defecations and laxative use (p < 0.001). Compared to the placebo group, the acupressure group had significantly lower mean post-test scores in all constipation rating scales. Qualitative findings from the study also support the quantitative findings.
For older people seeking evidence-based alternative therapy, acupressure may be a solution to reduce the constipation symptoms. Future studies with larger sample sizes are needed to confirm our study findings.
ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT05506397, 17 August 2022, retrospectively registered.
本研究旨在评估指压对老年人便秘症状及生活质量的影响。
本研究为双盲、随机、假对照、定性与定量混合方法研究。指压组个体每天接受21分钟指压，共12次。另一组接受相同时长的假指压。使用便秘评估量表（CAS）、便秘生活质量量表（PAC-QOL）、视觉模拟量表（VAS）及个体随访表评估定量数据，使用半结构化访谈表评估定性数据。
共81名参与者被随机分为指压组（n = 41，平均年龄：70.56 ± 4.76，女性占70.7%）或假指压组（n = 40，平均年龄：71.17 ± 5.19，女性占67.5%）。对参与者的重复测量显示，指压应用之间的CAS评分存在显著差异（p < 0.001）。应用后，两组在PAC-QOL、VAS、排便次数及泻药使用方面也存在统计学显著差异（p < 0.001）。与安慰剂组相比，指压组在所有便秘评定量表中的平均测试后得分显著更低。该研究的定性结果也支持定量结果。
对于寻求循证替代疗法的老年人，指压可能是减轻便秘症状的一种解决方案。需要更大样本量的未来研究来证实我们的研究结果。
ClinicalTrials.gov：NCT05506397，2022年8月17日，回顾性注册。
