Vitality Acupunch Exercise Program for Older Adults With Sarcopenia (VA)

Effects of the Vitality Acupunch Exercise Program on the Muscle Mass, Muscle Strength, and Sleep Quality of Older Adults With Sarcopenia

This project was aimed to test the effects of a six-month VA program on the muscle mass, muscle strength, and quality of sleep of institutional older adults with sarcopenia.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Sleep Quality; Muscle Strength; Muscle Mass
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Vitality acupunch (VA) exercise program; Other: Control

Detailed Description

A cluster-randomized controlled trial was conducted to test the effects of a six-month VA program on the muscle mass, muscle strength, and quality of sleep of institutional older adults with sarcopenia. Using convenience sampling, 12 long-term care facilities with 114 older adults were recruited, and then cluster-randomized by the facility to a VA experimental or a control group. The experimental group received the VA program led by certified instructors 3 times per week and 40 minutes per session for 6 months; the control group continued with their regular daily activities. One pre-test and two post-tests, 3 months apart, were conducted.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 114
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Taiwan
  • Kaohsiung, Taiwan, 80708
    • Kaohsiung Medical University

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 65 years to 100 years (OLDER_ADULT)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• age ≥ 65 years old
• have been living in the facility for at least 3 months
• intact cognitive function with the Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire score ≥ 8
• hand-grip strength < 28 kg for men and < 18 kg for women
• calf circumference < 34 cm for men and < 33 cm for women

Exclusion Criteria:

• have spinal cord injury
• have severe cardiovascular or pulmonary diseases
• have musculoskeletal diseases

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: PREVENTION
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Interventional Model: PARALLEL
• Masking: SINGLE

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
EXPERIMENTAL: Vitality acupunch (VA); The VA program took 40 minutes to complete and included 3 phases: 1) activating qi and blood (5 movements, 10 minutes): warm-up exercises that allowed the body to accumulate heat and promote flexibility of the joints to loosen up the body, 2) punching meridians (14 movements, 20 minutes): both hands were used to exert a vibrating effect according to the rhythms that stimulate the 14 meridians in the entire body to improve aerobic endurance, and 3) relaxing body and mind (5 movements, 10 minutes): muscle relaxing exercises to rest the body and cease the qi. Participants in the experimental group received the VA program led by the instructors, who were trained an certified by the PI, 3 times per week and 40 minutes per session for 6 months.	Other: Vitality acupunch (VA) exercise program; The VA had 3 phases and took 40 minutes to complete.
ACTIVE_COMPARATOR: Control; Participants in the control group continued with their daily activities as usual.	Other: Control; Participants maintained their daily activities.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Muscle mass	measured by the calf circumference	6 months
Muscle strength	measured by the Digital Handgrip Dynamometer (TKK-5101)	6 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Sleep quality	Measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI): score ranges from 0-21; > 5 indicates clinically significant sleep disruptions.	6 months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Kaohsiung Medical University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (ACTUAL): September 2, 2020
• Primary Completion (ACTUAL): April 9, 2021
• Study Completion (ACTUAL): April 9, 2021

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: August 31, 2020
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 31, 2020
• First Posted (ACTUAL): September 1, 2020

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (ACTUAL): April 14, 2021
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 10, 2021
• Last Verified: April 1, 2021

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Nervous System Diseases; Neurologic Manifestations; Neuromuscular Manifestations; Pathological Conditions, Anatomical; Muscular Atrophy; Atrophy; Sarcopenia
• Other Study ID Numbers: KMUHIRB-F(II)-20190045(2)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No