Investigation of The Effect of Progressive Muscle Relaxation Technique in Sedentary Obese Women

Pamukkale University20 enrolled

Overview

Obesity is a major public health problem that reduces quality of life and increases the risk of many chronic diseases. Its global prevalence continues to rise, and it is estimated that approximately 18 percent of men and 21 percent of women will be affected by the year 2025. The development and progression of obesity are influenced by individual characteristics such as age, lifestyle, and gender. Women experience hormonally driven changes in body fat across different life stages, including puberty, reproductive years, and the postpartum period, which place them at higher metabolic risk. Progressive muscle relaxation, particularly when combined with music, has been shown to reduce sleep problems, emotional disturbances, fatigue, and limitations in quality of life across different clinical populations. However, the effectiveness of music-assisted progressive muscle relaxation in sedentary obese women has not been clearly demonstrated. This study investigates whether a six-week, home-based music-assisted progressive muscle relaxation program can improve sleep quality, emotional well-being, fatigue, and health-related quality of life in sedentary obese women. The intervention can be performed independently in the participants' own living environment, which supports sustainability and enhances self-management. Demonstrating the effectiveness of this method may offer healthcare professionals a low-cost, accessible, non-pharmacological treatment option to improve both physical and emotional well-being in this high-risk population.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE

Enrollment

Conditions

Progressive Muscle Relaxation Technique

Interventions

ControlOTHER

No therapeutic intervention will be performed on participants in the control group after baseline assessment. To equalize the time and attention provided to the intervention group, participants in the control group will be asked to lie down in a comfortable position for twenty to thirty minutes once a day before going to bed for six weeks, without engaging in any relaxation technique or physical activity. They will be instructed to record these daily sessions in an activity log and will be asked not to miss more than two sessions per week. Participants will also be asked to refrain from receiving any additional complementary therapies that promote relaxation-such as acupuncture, massage, and other mind-body techniques-throughout the study period. No restrictions will be placed on their usual daily routines or lifestyle habits. After completion of all study assessments, participants in the control group will be informed about progressive muscle relaxation techniques, including their a

Music-Assisted Progressive Muscle RelaxationOTHER

At the beginning of the study, participants will be verbally informed about the progressive muscle relaxation technique, its application steps, and associated breathing techniques. Following this introduction, twenty- to thirty-minute video and audio recordings prepared by the Turkish Psychologists Association-featuring music-assisted progressive muscle relaxation instructions-will be sent to participants via a smartphone application. Participants will be instructed to follow the video/audio recordings once a day, before going to bed, for a period of six weeks. Approximately two weeks after the initial meeting, a follow-up session will be scheduled to assess participants' adherence to the protocol and to address any questions or difficulties they may have. Throughout the intervention period, participants will be asked to document each session in an activity log and will be instructed not to skip more than two sessions per week. They will also be asked to refrain from receiving any ad

Eligibility

Sex: FEMALEMin age: 18 YearsMax age: 50 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Female participants aged 18-50 years * Classified as sedentary according to the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-SF) * Obese, defined as BMI ≥ 30 kg/m² * Ability to understand written and spoken Turkish * Ability to comprehend study instructions * Active use of WhatsApp or Telegram to receive intervention materials Exclusion Criteria: * Cognitive impairment affecting communication * Pregnancy, postpartum period, or lactation * Use of weight-loss medications or sedative-hypnotic drugs * Not having a regular menstruation cycle * Hearing impairment Criteria for Withdrawal: * Voluntary withdrawal from the study * Development of a condition preventing continuation of participation * Failure to attend sessions regularly (missing more than two sessions per week) * Incomplete final assessments

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index

The scale designed to assess sleep quality consists of a total of 24 questions. Nineteen of these questions are answered by the individual, while five are answered by their spouse or roommate. The last five questions are not included in the scoring. The total scale score, ranging from 0 to 21, is obtained by summing the scores of seven subcomponents classified as subjective sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep duration, habitual sleep efficiency, sleep disturbance, sleep medication use, and daytime dysfunction. A total score of ≤5 indicates good sleep quality, while a score \>5 indicates impaired sleep quality.