title: Effects of auricular acupressure on body weight parameters in patients with chronic schizophrenia.
abstract: Auricular acupressure is widely used in complementary and alternative medicine to reduce body weight, but little is known about the effects of auricular acupressure on body weight parameters in patients with chronic schizophrenia. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of auricular acupressure on body weight parameters in patients with chronic schizophrenia. Eighty-six inpatients with schizophrenia were recruited from chronic wards in a psychiatric center. The participants were randomly divided into experimental (acupressure at 4 acupuncture sites: hunger, stomach, shenmen and endocrine) and control groups, and body weight parameters were determined weekly for 8 weeks. There was no significant difference between the experimental and control groups in mean body weight, waist circumference, or body fat percentage at the pretest or during the entire 8-week study period. Therefore, auricular acupressure did not cause body weight reduction in patients with chronic schizophrenia.
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Integrated Medicine, College of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung 40402, Taiwan ; Department of Psychiatry, Tsao-Tun Psychiatric Center, Department of Health, Executive Yuan, Nan-Tou 54249, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Han-Yi
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Ching
authors.forename: Shang-Liang
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Wen-Chi
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Ching-Liang
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Hsieh