The effect of health education and progressive muscle relaxation exercise on vasomotor symptoms and sleep problems in women with perimenopausal period

This study was a single-center, pre-test and post-test randomized controlled, factorial group experimental study conducted to determine the effect of health education and progressive muscle relaxation exercise (PMRE) on vasomotor symptoms and sleep problems in women with perimenopausal period. The research was conducted in a family health center. The required institutional permission and ethics committee approval was received. The sample consisted of 90 women totally, 30 of whom in the PMRE + health education group, 30 of whom in the PMRE group and 30 of whom in the control group. This study compared the effectiveness of two different interventions. PMRE was administered to women in the PMRE + Health education group, along with health education on vasomotor symptoms and sleep hygiene. Only PMRE was administered to women in the PMRE group. No intervention was applied to women in the control group. The research period was 9 weeks. The data was collected using personal information form, Visual Analogue Scale for Vasomotor Symptoms (VAS), Women's Health Initiative Insomnia Rating Scale (WHIIRS), vasomotor symptom diary, progressive muscle relaxation exercise follow-up schedule, and health education practice follow-up schedule. In the analysis of the data, ANOVA test, Repeated Measures test, Kruskal-Wallis H test, Friedman test and χ2 test statistics were used. In the statistical analysis performed, it was determined that the mean of the frequency of daily hot flashes significantly decreased in the PMRE + Health education group and in the PMRE group compared to the control group at the third evaluation (p <0.05). In the second and third evaluations, the mean frequency of daily night sweats, daily hot flash severity score, daily night sweats severity score, daily hot flashes VAS score, daily night sweats VAS score and WHIIRS score were significantly decreased in the PMRE + Health education group and the PMRE group compared to the control group (p <0.05). At the end of the second evaluation, it was determined that the mean sweating VAS score decreased significantly in the PMRE + Health education group, and at the end of the third evaluation, it was found to be significantly decreased in the PMRE + Health education group and the PMRE group compared to the control group (p <0.05). As a result of the study, it was determined that PMRE intervention together with health education for vasomotor symptoms and sleep hygiene (PMRE + Health education group) and only PMRE intervention (PMRE group) were found to be an effective method in reducing vasomotor symptoms and sleep problems in women with perimenopausal period. Also, it was determined that the PMRE + Health education group had a higher effect size than the PMRE group in all measurement results.