Huang Sean, Kim Jung Eun, Li Wen-Wen
School of Nursing, College of Health and Social Sciences, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Ave, BH383, San Francisco, CA, 94132, United States, 1 4153382368.
Asian Pac Isl Nurs J. 2025 May 2;9:e70226. doi: 10.2196/70226.
Around 20%-50% of Chinese menopausal women experience insomnia, which is associated with elevated blood pressure (BP). Despite this, the population remains understudied. Qigong, a simple form of Chinese exercise, has been shown to improve insomnia and BP but has not been explicitly used to address menopausal symptoms in Chinese women. This study aims to test the feasibility of a Qigong-based intervention in enhancing sleep quality and BP control in this population.
This study aimed to develop and pilot test the feasibility of a culturally sensitive Qigong Used for Insomnia Therapy (QUIT) intervention in improving sleep quality and BP among Chinese menopausal women.
From August 2023 to May 2024, this study used a 1-group pretest-posttest design (N=22) to evaluate the QUIT intervention. The intervention consisted of a 10-minute Qigong demonstration video, a 10-minute practice and return demonstration and a 5-minute insomnia counseling session at baseline. Participants were instructed to engage in daily 10-minute Qigong practice for 1 month. Outcome measures, including sleep quality and BP, were assessed at baseline and at the 1-month follow-up. Data on demographics were collected via self-reported questionnaires. At the end of the study, participants were interviewed using semistructured questions to assess their perception of the intervention's feasibility. Qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis, with interviews transcribed and coded independently by the principal investigator and research assistant. Categories related to feasibility, adherence, and barriers were identified. Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS 27.0 (IBM Corp), using descriptive statistics and paired sample t tests to assess changes in sleep quality and BP, with statistical significance set at .05.
The mean age of participants was 53.78 (SD 8.79, range 42-74) years. Most participants lived with relatives or friends (20/22, 91%), were employed (16/22, 73%), were married (19/22, 86%), and had at least high school education (19/22, 86%). The mean 23-item Sleep Quality Scale score significantly improved from 18.59 (SD 11.41) at baseline to 15.64 (SD 9.65; mean difference 2.96, SD 7.04; t21=1.97, P=.03) after 1 month, indicating better sleep quality (the 23-item Sleep Quality Scale was reversely scored). There was a trend toward reduced systolic BP from 115.47 (SD 14.95) at baseline to 113.59 (SD 13.93; mean difference -0.89, SD 1.64; t21=-1.15, P=.26) after 1 month. Diastolic BP also improved from 74.69 (SD 10.81) at baseline to 71.41 (SD 16.82) at 1 month (mean difference -3.28, SD 4.04; t21=-0.81, P=.43).
The QUIT intervention was culturally sensitive, low-cost, and easy to implement. It showed significant improvements in sleep quality and trends toward reduced BP in Chinese menopausal women. Further investigation is recommended to further test the QUIT intervention to establish a robust program across different states. Once validated, the QUIT intervention may be implemented in various clinical settings to help Chinese menopausal women achieve optimal sleep quality and BP management.
约20%-50%的中国更年期女性存在失眠问题，这与血压升高有关。尽管如此，该人群仍未得到充分研究。气功是一种简单的中国传统运动，已被证明可改善失眠和血压，但尚未明确用于解决中国女性的更年期症状。本研究旨在测试基于气功的干预措施在改善该人群睡眠质量和控制血压方面的可行性。
本研究旨在开发并进行初步测试，验证一种具有文化敏感性的用于失眠治疗的气功干预措施（QUIT）在改善中国更年期女性睡眠质量和血压方面的可行性。
2023年8月至2024年5月，本研究采用单组前后测设计（N=22）来评估QUIT干预措施。干预包括一段10分钟的气功示范视频、一次10分钟的练习及反馈示范，以及基线时5分钟的失眠咨询环节。指导参与者每天进行10分钟的气功练习，为期1个月。在基线和1个月随访时评估包括睡眠质量和血压在内的结局指标。通过自我报告问卷收集人口统计学数据。在研究结束时，使用半结构化问题对参与者进行访谈，以评估他们对干预措施可行性的看法。定性数据采用内容分析法进行分析，访谈由主要研究者和研究助理独立转录和编码。确定与可行性、依从性和障碍相关的类别。定量数据使用SPSS 27.0（IBM公司）进行分析，采用描述性统计和配对样本t检验来评估睡眠质量和血压的变化，设定统计学显著性水平为0.05。
参与者的平均年龄为53.78岁（标准差8.79，范围42-74岁）。大多数参与者与亲戚或朋友同住（20/22，91%），有工作（16/22，73%），已婚（19/22，86%），且至少具有高中学历（19/22，86%）。23项睡眠质量量表的平均得分在1个月后从基线时的18.59（标准差11.41）显著改善至15.64（标准差9.65；平均差值2.96，标准差7.04；t21=1.97，P=0.03），表明睡眠质量更好（23项睡眠质量量表采用反向计分）。收缩压有从基线时的115.47（标准差14.95）降至1个月后的113.59（标准差13.93；平均差值-0.89，标准差1.64；t21=-1.15，P=0.26）的趋势。舒张压也从基线时的74.69（标准差10.81）改善至1个月时的71.41（标准差16.8）（平均差值-3.28，标准差4.04；t21=-0.81，P=0.43）。
QUIT干预措施具有文化敏感性、成本低且易于实施。它在中国更年期女性中显示出睡眠质量的显著改善以及血压降低的趋势。建议进一步开展研究以进一步测试QUIT干预措施，从而在不同地区建立一个完善的方案。一旦得到验证，QUIT干预措施可在各种临床环境中实施，以帮助中国更年期女性实现最佳的睡眠质量和血压管理。
