Self-Acupressure and Social Jet Lag in Female Health Sciences Students
Trial statusRecruiting
Trial phaseNot applicable
Trial typeInterventional
Biological sexFemale
Age18-25
SponsorNigde Omer Halisdemir University
About this trial
This randomized, sham-controlled trial aims to evaluate the effects of self-administered acupressure on social jet lag, sleep patterns, and sleep quality in female health sciences students. Participants will be randomly assigned to either a self-acupressure intervention group or a sham self-acupressure control group. The intervention will be performed daily for 12 weeks. Outcomes will be assessed at baseline and at the end of the intervention period, with the primary outcome being the change in social jet lag. Secondary outcomes include changes in sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, and participant blinding assessment.
Eligibility criteria
This trial accepts healthy volunteersQualifiers
Female undergraduate students enrolled in midwifery or medical programs
Age 18 to 25 years
Regular academic schedule (work/school days and free days identifiable)
Willingness to participate and provide written informed consent
Disqualifiers
Current diagnosis of a sleep disorder requiring medical treatment (e.g., obstructive sleep apnea, narcolepsy)
Use of medications known to significantly affect sleep or circadian rhythms (e.g., hypnotics, stimulants)
Shift work or night work during the study period
Transmeridian travel (≥2 time zones) within the past 4 weeks or planned during the study period
Trial design
Design model
Parallel
Treatments tested in this trial
Self-Acupressure Intervention
Other interventionParticipants receive structured training in self-administered acupressure at predefined acupoints (HT7, SP6, and Yintang). Training is provided face-to-face at baseline. Participants are instructed to apply acupressure daily at home using moderate, comfortable, non-painful pressure. Each session is performed according to the study protocol for a total duration of 12 weeks.
Sham Self-Acupressure
Other interventionParticipants receive structured training in sham self-acupressure matched to the experimental intervention in frequency, session duration, and pressure. Sham acupressure is applied daily at non-acupoint locations that are not recognized as therapeutic acupressure points, using moderate, comfortable, non-painful pressure, for a total duration of 12 weeks.
Treatment groups
120 Participants
are divided into 2 treatment groupsGroup A: Self-Acupressure Intervention (HT7, SP6, Yintang)Experimental treatment 1 intervention
Group B: Sham Self-AcupressureSham comparator 1 intervention
Trial outcomes
Primary outcomes
1
Change in Social Jet Lag (ΔSJL)
Change in social jet lag (hours), calculated as the absolute difference between mid-sleep time on free days (MSF) and mid-sleep time on work/school days (MSW), derived from a Munich Chronotype Questionnaire (MCTQ)-based assessment and a 14-day sleep diary. Social jet lag values range from 0 hours upward, with higher values indicating greater circadian misalignment. The primary outcome is defined as the change in social jet lag from baseline to Week 12 (Week 12 - baseline).
Time frame
Baseline (T0) and Week 12 (end of 3-month follow-up); primary analysis uses change from baseline to Week 12 (T12 - T0)Secondary outcomes
1
Participant blinding assessment (treatment guess)
Participant-reported guess of group assignment, assessed using a single-item categorical question with three response options: "active self-acupressure," "sham self-acupressure," or "unsure." The proportion of correct guesses will be used to evaluate the success of blinding. Blinding will be considered successful if the proportion of correct guesses does not significantly exceed chance level.
Time frame
At 1 month and 3 months after baseline2
Change in Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) total score
Change in Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) total score. The PSQI total score ranges from 0 to 21, with higher scores indicating worse sleep quality. The outcome is defined as the change in total score from baseline to Week 12 (Week 12 - baseline).
Time frame
Baseline (T0) and Week 12; change from baseline to Week 12 (T12 - T0)3
Change in Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) score
Change in Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) score. The ESS total score ranges from 0 to 24, with higher scores indicating greater daytime sleepiness. The outcome is defined as the change in total score from baseline to Week 12 (Week 12 - baseline).
Time frame
Baseline (T0) and Week 12; change from baseline to Week 12 (T12 - T0)Other outcomes
1
Average nightly sleep duration (work/school days vs free days)
Average nightly sleep duration (hours), calculated separately for work/school days and free days using a 14-day sleep diary.
Time frame
Mean nightly sleep duration calculated over the 14 days immediately preceding baseline and over the 14 days immediately preceding Week 12.2
Subjective sleep onset latency
Self-reported time to fall asleep (minutes) recorded in the 14-day sleep diary.
Time frame
Mean sleep onset latency calculated over the 14 days immediately preceding baseline and over the 14 days immediately preceding Week 12.3
Participant satisfaction (0-10)
Participant-reported satisfaction with the intervention assessed using a single-item numeric rating scale ranging from 0 to 10, where 0 indicates no satisfaction and 10 indicates maximum satisfaction. Higher scores indicate greater satisfaction.
Time frame
Week 124
Intervention adherence (% of sessions)
Adherence calculated as the percentage of completed sessions out of the total prescribed sessions during the 12-week intervention period, based on participant logs.
Time frame
Week 12 (calculated over the 12-week intervention period).Sponsors and contacts
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Source ClinicalTrials.gov