title: The effect of Qigong on menopausal symptoms and quality of sleep for perimenopausal women: a preliminary observational study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The study objectives were to examine the effect of a 12-week 30-minute-a-day Ping Shuai Qigong exercise program on climacteric symptoms and sleep quality in perimenopausal women.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a prospective observational study.
  
  
  METHODS
  The subjects (N=70) from two communities were women aged 45 years and above who were experiencing menopausal symptoms.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-five (35) women from one community were assigned to a Ping Shuai Qigong intervention group, while 35 women from the other community were assigned to the control group.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a 12-week, 30-minute-a-day Ping Shuai Qigong program.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Greene Climacteric Symptom scale and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index were the outcome measures.
  
  
  METHODS
  Descriptive analysis and repeated-measures analysis of variance were used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Pretest scores at baseline found no significant group differences in climacteric symptoms or sleep quality. Significant improvements in climacteric symptoms were found at 6 weeks and 12 weeks (t=4.07, p<0.001 and t=11.83, p<0.001) in the intervention group. They were also found to have significant improvements in sleep quality in those times (t=5.93, p<0.001 and t=10.58, p<0.001, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ping Shuai Qigong improved climacteric symptoms and sleep quality in perimenopausal women at 6 weeks and 12 weeks. The longer a person practiced this form of meditative exercise, the greater the improvement in sleeping quality and climacteric symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Business Management, Institute of Health Care Management, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. syehboston@gmail.com
authors.forename: Shu-Chuan Jennifer
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Yeh
authors.forename: Mei-Ying
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Chang
mesh_terms: D001945:Breathing Exercises; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008593:Menopause; D008875:Middle Aged; D019370:Observation; D047648:Perimenopause; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012890:Sleep; D007319:Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / Q000628:therapy*