Available online 16 March 2024, 151620

Author links open overlay panel, , AbstractObjectives

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of progressive muscle relaxation exercises (PMRE) on sleep quality in patients undergoing chemotherapy treatment and experiencing disturbed sleep.

Methods

The prospective randomized controlled study was conducted between March and September 2022 with 69 patients (intervention group: 34 patients, control group: 35 patients) in a hospital chemotherapy unit. During the data collection process, the “Personal Information Form” and “Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI)” were utilized. Patients in the intervention group performed PMRE twice a day for 8 weeks. Patients in the control group received routine care at the clinic without additional intervention. For data analysis, Student's t-test, Mann–Whitney U test, Fisher's exact test, and chi-square test were used.

Results

The sociodemographic attributes of patients within both the intervention and control groups exhibited comparability. However, notable distinctions emerged in the PSQI Global sleep score and PSQI subdimension scores, encompassing sleep latency and duration, subjective sleep quality, habitual sleep efficiency, sleep disturbance, and daytime dysfunction between the two groups. The study found a notable difference in scores between the patients in the intervention group and those in the control group. The patients who received the intervention had significantly lower scores (P < .001).

Conclusion

The study revealed that PMRE was beneficial in improving sleep quality in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy who had poor sleep quality.

Implications for Nursing Practice

Oncology nurses may consider using PMRE to improve the sleep quality of cancer patients receiving chemotherapy.

Section snippetsStudy Design

This study employed a pretest–post-test, randomized controlled trial design with both an intervention group and a control group, utilizing a prospective approach. Its purpose was to examine the influence of PMRE on the sleep quality of individuals undergoing chemotherapy and facing sleep disturbances. The research framework and execution adhered to the guidelines outlined in the CONSORT checklist, as depicted in Fig. 1.17

Study Setting

Between the dates of February 4, 2022 and September 30, 2022, this study

Study Procedure

Patients receiving chemotherapy at the hospital chemotherapy unit were informed about the research, and the eligibility of the patients who accepted to participate was evaluated. Patients who met the inclusion criteria were invited to fill out the Personal Information Form and the PSQI Form after obtaining their written consent. The closed envelope in which randomization was performed was opened, and the patient was assigned to either the intervention or control group.

Results

In this study, a total of 69 patients participated, 34 in the intervention group and 35 in the control group. The demographic characteristics of the study groups are statistically similar (Table 1). The treatment regimen was administered every 21 days in both the intervention and control groups. Ten patients (29.4%) in the intervention group and six patients (17.1%) in the control group had previously received radiotherapy. The number of chemotherapy applications was 2.9 in the intervention

Discussion

This study aimed to assess the efficacy of PMRE on the overall sleep score of the PSQI as well as its individual subdimensions. These subdimensions encompass sleep latency and duration, subjective sleep quality, sleep disturbance, habitual sleep efficiency, and daytime dysfunction scores. It is widely recognized that a PSQI global sleep score of 5 or higher signifies a negative impact on sleep quality, with a progressively greater negative influence as the score escalates.18,19 This study

Conclusion

In conclusion, this study has demonstrated the efficacy of PMRE in enhancing sleep quality among oncology patients undergoing chemotherapy and experiencing sleep disturbances. The incorporation of PMRE into patient care is highly recommended due to its ease of use, absence of side effects, affordability, and adaptability to various settings. Over an 8-week period, the application of PMRE led to notable improvements in sleep quality among patients receiving chemotherapy. This highlights the

CRediT authorship contribution statement

Ebru Sarı: Writing – original draft, Resources, Methodology, Investigation, Formal analysis, Data curation, Conceptualization. Fatma Gündogdu: Writing – review & editing, Writing – original draft, Resources, Methodology, Investigation, Formal analysis, Conceptualization. Remziye Semerci: Writing – review & editing, Writing – original draft, Resources, Methodology, Investigation, Formal analysis, Conceptualization.

Declaration of competing interest

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Funding

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

Informed Consent

Informed written consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Availability of Data and Materials

All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this article. Further enquiries can be directed to the corresponding author.

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the patients for their help with data collection and with the operation treatment.

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