A Secondary Analysis of Sleep Quality Changes in Older Adults From a Randomized Trial of an MBSR Program
Autumn M. Gallegos, J. Moynihan, Wilfred R. Pigeon
Journal of Applied Gerontology August 10, 2016 DOI: 10.1177/0733464816663553 (opens in new tab) via Semantic Scholar
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractA secondary analysis of a randomized trial found that Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) was associated with improved sleep quality in healthy older adults who had baseline sleep disturbances. Among participants with Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) scores above 5, MBSR produced a small but significant improvement in overall sleep compared to a waitlist control, while those with scores of 10 or higher showed a medium-sized significant improvement. The study suggests that MBSR may benefit older adults with more pronounced sleep problems, though effects were not observed across the entire sample.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 200 |
| Population | Healthy older adults aged 65 and older |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) |
| Duration | 8-week intervention, 6-month follow-up |
| Keywords | Psychology Medicine |
| Key finding | MBSR participation was associated with small to medium improvements in sleep quality among older adults with baseline sleep disturbances, with larger effects for those with more severe disturbances. |
Abstract
This secondary analysis examined changes in sleep quality associated with participation in a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program among healthy older adults. Data were collected at baseline, 8-weeks post-treatment, and a 6-month follow-up from adults aged ≥ 65 (N = 200), randomly assigned to MBSR or a waitlist control. Group differences were examined using mixed analysis of covariance with repeated measures on the total Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) score. A small-sized, significant effect was found on overall sleep among MBSR participants with baseline PSQI scores > 5, indicative of a sleep disturbance, F(2, 80) = 4.32, p = .02, ηp2 = .05. A medium-sized, significant effect was found for MBSR participants with baseline PSQI scores ≥ 10, F(2, 28) = 3.13, p = .04, ηp2 = .10. These findings indicate that improved sleep quality for older adults who have higher levels of sleep disturbance may be associated with participation in MBSR.