BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies (Oct 2024)

Simple Sitting Baduanjin mind-body exercise: randomized controlled trial protocol for advanced cancer patients with the fatigue-sleep disturbance symptom cluster

  • Huina Zou,
  • Xiaoyan Lin,
  • Tingjin Duan,
  • Jianwei Zheng,
  • Huimin Xiao

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-024-04652-6
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 24, no. 1
pp. 1 – 8

Abstract

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Abstract Background Advanced cancer patients commonly suffer from a fatigue-sleep disturbance symptom cluster. Baduanjin is considered a promising mind-body exercise for relieving the fatigue-sleep disturbance symptom cluster. However, few studies have investigated a tailored Baduanjin for advanced cancer patients. The proposed study will create an optimized Baduanjin exercise program to adapt to advanced cancer patients and evaluate the effect of a Simple Sitting Baduanjin (SSBDJ) mind-body exercise on the fatigue-sleep disturbance symptom cluster among advanced cancer patients. Methods The study will be a prospective, assessor-blinded, two-arm, randomized controlled trial, involving a 12-week intervention and 4-week follow-up. A total of 108 advanced cancer patients experiencing the fatigue-sleep disturbance symptom cluster will be recruited from two tertiary general hospitals in China. Participants will be randomized to an experimental group (n = 54) or a control group (n = 54). The experimental group will receive a 12-week SSBDJ intervention plus the usual care, and the control group will receive only the usual care. Outcomes including fatigue-sleep disturbance symptom cluster, fatigue, sleep disturbance, and quality of life will be measured before the intervention, at the 4th, 8th, and 12th weeks of the intervention, and 4 weeks after the intervention. The intention-to-treat principle and a generalized estimating equation will be used to analyze data. Discussion This study may produce a new Baduanjin exercise prescription that is user-friendly, simple to execute, more targeted, and adaptable. If proven effective, this approach may be integrated into routine cancer care to manage the fatigue-sleep disturbance symptom cluster and improve QOL in advanced cancer patients. Trial registration Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR-2,300,072,331. Registered on 9 June 2023.

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