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OpenTrials
Completed

NCT Number: NCT04910932

Effects of Breathing Exercises on Fear of COVID-19, Anxiety, Sleep and Quality of Life During the COVID-19 Pandemic

It has been reported that in the first stages of the pandemic, a significant portion of the general population experienced psychological problems such as anxiety, depression and post-traumatic disorders. These problems persist today. A balanced diet, physical activity participation and relaxation techniques are recommended for preventing such problems. In studies conducted before the pandemic, it is reported that breathing exercises have positive effects on anxiety, sleep and quality of life in both patients and healthy individuals. Aim of this study is to investigate the effects of breathing exercises applied via teleconference on fear of COVID-19, anxiety, sleep and quality of life in healthy adult population.

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Key information

Conditions

Healthy Adults

Age range

18 year–65 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Nuh Naci Yazgan University, Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation

Kayseri, Turkey (Türkiye)

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • volunteering to participate in the study
  • having a smart phone that can be used for teleconferencing purposes

Exclusion criteria

  • have had COVID-19
  • hospital admission for suspected COVID-19 in the past week
  • having acute respiratory tract infection
  • having any diagnosed chronic respiratory, cardiovascular, metabolic or neurological diseases

Treatment and study plan

Breathing exercises

Other

Breathing exercises including diaphragmatic breathing, thoracic expansion and breathing control exercises

Information on COVID-19

Other

Information about COVID-19 based on the advices in "COVID-19 advice for the public" section of World Health Organization website.

Primary outcomes

  1. Fear of COVID-19

    Time frame: Change from baseline at 2nd, 3rd and 4th week

    Fear of COVID-19 will be evaluated using The Fear of COVID-19 scale. The scale consists of seven items, each with a five-point Likert scale of options. The participant is instructed to choose an option that best represents their perception about the statement presented. Higher score indicates higher levels of fear.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Anxiety

    Time frame: Change from baseline at 2nd, 3rd and 4th week

    Anxiety will be evaluated using Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale. Scale measures the severity of a patient's anxiety, based on 14 parameters, including anxious mood, tension, fears, insomnia, somatic complaints and behavior. Each item is scored on a scale of 0 (not present) to 4 (severe), with a total score range of 0-56, where <17 indicates mild severity, 18-24 mild to moderate severity and 25-30 moderate to severe.

  2. Sleep quality

    Time frame: Change from baseline at 4th week

    Sleep quality will be evaluated using The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Questionnaire assesses sleep quality over a 1-month time interval. It consists of 19 individual items, creating 7 components that produce one global score. Each item is weighted on a 0-3 interval scale. The global score is calculated by totaling the seven component scores, providing an overall score ranging from 0 to 21, where lower scores denote a healthier sleep quality.

  3. Health-related quality of life

    Time frame: Change from baseline at 2nd, 3rd and 4th week

    Health-related quality of life will be evaluated using EQ-5D-3L. Questionnaire describes general health based on five distinct dimensions: mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression. Each dimension has 3 Levels (indicating no problem, some or moderate problem and extreme problem).

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Izmir Bakircay University

Other

Collaborators

  • Nuh Naci Yazgan University

Registry information

Important dates

Study start
2021
Primary completion
2021
Study completion
2021
First posted
Jun 2, 2021
Registry last updated
Mar 9, 2022

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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