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Effects of Yoga on Menopausal Symptoms and Sleep Quality across Menopause Statuses: A Randomized Controlled Trial

DOI:10.1111/nhs.12931
Authors:
Henny dwi Susanti at Taipei Medical University
Henny dwi Susanti
Ismaila Sonko
Ismaila Sonko
Ismaila Sonko
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Pi-Chen Chang at Taipei Medical University
Pi-Chen Chang
Yeu-Hui Chuang at Taipei Medical University
Yeu-Hui Chuang
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Abstract and Figures

This randomized controlled trial investigated the effects of yoga on menopausal symptoms and sleep quality across menopause statuses. Participants were randomly assigned to either the intervention or control group (n = 104 each), and those in the intervention group practiced yoga for 20 weeks. The participants completed the following questionnaires: The Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale; Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support; Menopause Rating Scale; and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. The results revealed that yoga effectively decreased menopausal symptoms, with the strongest effects noted in postmenopausal women (mean ± standard deviation: 14.98 ± 7.10), followed by perimenopausal women (6.11 ± 2.07). Yoga significantly improved sleep quality in postmenopausal and perimenopausal women after controlling for social support, depression, anxiety, stress, and menopausal symptoms (p < 0.001). However, yoga did not affect sleep quality in premenopausal women. Overall sleep quality significantly improved in postmenopausal (p < 0.001) and perimenopausal women (p < 0.001). Our data indicate that yoga can help decrease menopausal symptoms, particularly in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women, and improve their health.
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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Effects of yoga on menopausal symptoms and sleep quality
across menopause statuses: A randomized controlled trial
Henny Dwi Susanti RN, MSN, PhD
1,2
| Ismaila Sonko RN, MSc
1,3
|
Pi-Chen Chang RN, PhD
1
| Yeu-Hui Chuang RN, PhD
1,4
|
Min-Huey Chung RN, PhD
1,5
1
School of Nursing, College of Nursing, Taipei
Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
2
Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health
Science, University of Muhammadiyah Malang,
Malang, East Java, Indonesia
3
Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Banjul,
The Gambia
4
Center for Nursing and Healthcare Research
in Clinical Practice Application, Wan Fang
Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei,
Taiwan
5
Department of Nursing, Shuang Ho Hospital,
Taipei Medical University, New Taipei City,
Taiwan
Correspondence
Min-Huey Chung, School of Nursing, College
of Nursing, Taipei Medical University,
No. 250, Wu-Xing Street, Taipei 110, Taiwan,
ROC.
Email: minhuey300@tmu.edu.tw
Abstract
This randomized controlled trial investigated the effects of yoga on menopausal symp-
toms and sleep quality across menopause statuses. Participants were randomly assigned
to either the intervention or control group (n=104 each), and those in the intervention
group practiced yoga for 20 weeks. The participants completed the following question-
naires: the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale; Multidimensional Scale of Perceived
Social Support; Menopause Rating Scale; and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. The
results revealed that yoga effectively decreased menopausal symptoms, with the stron-
gest effects noted in postmenopausal women (mean ± standard deviation: 14.98
± 7.10), followed by perimenopausal women (6.11 ± 2.07). Yoga significantly improved
sleep quality in postmenopausal and perimenopausal women after controlling for social
support, depression, anxiety, stress, and menopausal symptoms (p< 0.001). However,
yoga did not affect sleep quality in premenopausal women. Overall sleep quality signifi-
cantly improved in postmenopausal and perimenopausal women. Our data indicate that
yoga can help decrease menopausal symptoms, particularly in perimenopausal and post-
menopausal women, and improve their health.
KEYWORDS
Indonesia, menopause, sleep, stress, women's health, yoga
Key points
•This study provides an insight into yoga and its effect on menopausal symptoms and sleep
quality across menopause statuses.
•Yoga practice significantly improved sleep quality and menopausal symptoms in menopausal
women, particularly in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women.
•Consistent yoga practice improves menopausal symptoms and sleep quality in menopausal
women, particularly, with longer durations exhibiting stronger effects.
1|INTRODUCTION
Menopausal women typically report several symptoms, such as
somatic-vegetative, psychological, and urogenital symptoms (Andac &
Aslan, 2017). The menopause status is divided into premenopause
(menstruation at least once in the preceding 12 months),
perimenopause (changes in menstrual flow and frequency for
12 months), and postmenopause (no menstruation for ≥12 months)
(Agarwal et al., 2018). Among pre-, peri-, and postmensopausal
women, menopausal symptoms are the most severe in postmeno-
pausal women, followed by perimenopausal women, and the least
severe in premenopausal women (Agarwal et al., 2018; Masjoudi
Received: 20 July 2021 Revised: 8 February 2022 Accepted: 9 February 2022
DOI: 10.1111/nhs.12931
368 © 2022 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd. Nurs Health Sci. 2022;24:368–379.wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/nhs
... Increased physical activity can promote psychological and emotional stability, which in turn improves sleep quality (Song et al., 2018;Susanti et al., 2022). Increased blood circulation and metabolism can effectively reduce fatigue-inducing factors (Yun, 2019). ...
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