Effect of Acupressure on Quality of Life, Sleep Quality, and Hopelessness in Older Adults (ACU-ELDER)

February 20, 2026 updated by: Nida Efetürk, Kocaeli Sağlık ve Teknoloji Üniversitesi

The Effect of Acupressure on Quality of Life, Sleep Quality, and Hopelessness in Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial

This randomized controlled study aims to evaluate the effects of acupressure on quality of life, sleep quality, and hopelessness levels in older adults living in a nursing home setting. Aging is associated with decreased sleep quality, reduced life satisfaction, and increased psychological distress, including hopelessness. Non-pharmacological and low-risk interventions are increasingly needed to improve well-being in older populations.

In this study, 50 participants aged 65 years and older were randomly assigned to either an intervention group (acupressure) or a control group (no intervention). The intervention group received acupressure applied to Shenmen (HT7), Neiguan (P6), and Sanyinjiao (SP6) points three times per week for four weeks. The control group received routine care without additional intervention.

Outcomes were measured before and after the intervention using the CASP-19 Quality of Life Scale, the Richard-Campbell Sleep Questionnaire, and the Beck Hopelessness Scale. The study evaluates whether acupressure can serve as a safe and effective complementary nursing intervention to improve sleep and overall well-being in older adults.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

This randomized controlled trial was conducted to investigate the effect of acupressure on quality of life, sleep quality, and hopelessness among older adults residing in a nursing home.

A total of 50 participants aged 65 years and older were included in the study. Participants were randomly assigned to either the intervention group (n=25) or the control group (n=25) using simple randomization. Eligibility criteria included being 65 years or older, residing in the nursing home, and having the ability to read and understand study materials. Individuals with skin lesions, infection, sensory loss in acupressure areas, or those unwilling to participate were excluded.

The intervention group received acupressure applied to bilateral Shenmen (HT7), Neiguan (P6), and Sanyinjiao (SP6) points. Each point was stimulated manually for approximately two minutes per session. The intervention was administered three times per week for four consecutive weeks by a trained researcher. The control group received routine institutional care without additional intervention.

Primary and secondary outcomes were assessed before and after the intervention. Quality of life was measured using the CASP-19 scale, sleep quality was evaluated using the Richard-Campbell Sleep Questionnaire, and hopelessness levels were measured using the Beck Hopelessness Scale.

Data were analyzed using independent-samples t tests and paired-samples t tests. The study aimed to determine whether acupressure could improve sleep quality and quality of life and reduce hopelessness in older adults. This intervention represents a low-cost, non-invasive complementary nursing approach that may support holistic elderly care.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
50

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Aged 65 years or older
  • Residing in the nursing home where the study was conducted
  • Able to communicate verbally
  • Able to read and understand the questionnaires
  • Volunteered to participate in the study

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Presence of skin lesions, wounds, or infection at acupressure points
  • Diagnosed cognitive impairment preventing questionnaire completion
  • Severe hearing or communication problems
  • Receiving another complementary therapy during the study period
  • Refusal to continue participation

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Acupressure Group
Participants received manual acupressure applied to Shenmen (HT7), Neiguan (P6), and Sanyinjiao (SP6) points three times per week for four weeks in addition to routine care.
Other: Acupressure
Manual acupressure was applied bilaterally to HT7, P6, and SP6 points. Each point was stimulated for approximately two minutes per session. The intervention was administered three times weekly for four consecutive weeks by a trained researcher.
No Intervention: Control Group
Participants received routine institutional care without additional intervention during the study period.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in Sleep Quality Score
Time Frame: Baseline (Week 0) and Week 4
Sleep quality was assessed using the Richard-Campbell Sleep Questionnaire (RCSQ). The total score ranges from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating better sleep quality. The primary endpoint was the change in total score from baseline to week 4.
Baseline (Week 0) and Week 4

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in Quality of Life Score
Time Frame: Baseline (Week 0) and Week 4
Quality of life was measured using the CASP-19 scale. Total scores range from 0 to 57, with higher scores indicating better quality of life. Change from baseline to week 4 was analyzed.
Baseline (Week 0) and Week 4

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Kocaeli Sağlık ve Teknoloji Üniversitesi

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
Kafkas University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
September 1, 2024

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
May 30, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
May 30, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
February 20, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
February 20, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
February 27, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
February 27, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
February 20, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
February 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 2024-TS-73

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

De-identified individual participant data (IPD) will be shared, including baseline demographic characteristics (age, sex), group allocation, and outcome measure scores (Richard-Campbell Sleep Questionnaire, CASP-19 Quality of Life Scale, and Beck Hopelessness Scale) collected at baseline and at week 4. No personally identifiable information will be included in the shared dataset.

IPD Sharing Time Frame

Individual participant data will be available beginning 6 months after publication of the study results and ending 5 years after publication.

IPD Sharing Access Criteria

Access to de-identified individual participant data, study protocol, statistical analysis plan, and analytic code will be granted to researchers who provide a methodologically sound research proposal. Requests should be directed to the corresponding author. Data will be shared after approval by the study investigators and signing of a data use agreement. Data will be provided in electronic format.

IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type

  • STUDY_PROTOCOL

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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