Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of the Healthy Beat Acupunch Regimen on Physical Fitness, Sleep Quality, and Quality of Life Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults

NCT07868575 | Not Yet Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: MU-HBA-CEA-01
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 92
• Locations: 0 countries
• Sites: N/A

Brief Summary

This study will evaluate the effects and preliminary cost-effectiveness of the Healthy Beat Acupunch (HBA) exercise program among community-dwelling older adults in Thailand. HBA is a 40-minute exercise program that combines gentle body movements with rhythmic tapping along traditional Chinese medicine meridian points. Older adults in the intervention group will participate in HBA exercise three times per week for 6 months. During months 1-3, the sessions will be led by trained exercise leaders. During months 4-6, participants will exercise using a prerecorded HBA video, with personnel present to monitor safety. Participants in the control group will continue their usual daily activities and usual health services without receiving the HBA program during the study period. Physical fitness, sleep quality, and health-related quality of life will be assessed at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months. The study will also compare the direct and indirect costs of the leader-led and video-led phases and conduct a preliminary cost-effectiveness analysis to examine whether the HBA program may be a practical and sustainable health-promotion approach for older adults living in the community.

Conditions

Healthy Aging; Health Promotion

Keywords

Healthy Beat Acupunch; Older Adults; Exercise; physical fitness; Sleep Quality; Cost-Effectiveness

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (9)

• Aerobic Endurance Assessed by the 2-Minute Step Test

  Aerobic endurance will be assessed using the 2-Minute Step Test. The outcome is the number of times the participant raises the knee to the predetermined height within 2 minutes. Higher counts indicate better aerobic endurance.

  Baseline, 3 months, and 6 months

• Pulmonary Function Assessed by Peak Flow Meter

  Pulmonary function will be assessed using a peak flow meter. Participants will inhale fully and then exhale as forcefully as possible. The recorded peak expiratory flow value will be used for analysis.

  Baseline, 3 months, and 6 months

• Upper-Body Flexibility Assessed by the Back Scratch Test

  Upper-body flexibility will be assessed using the Back Scratch Test. The distance between the middle fingers of both hands will be measured, with negative values indicating a gap, zero indicating touching, and positive values indicating overlap.

  Baseline, 3 months, and 6 months

• Lower-Body Flexibility Assessed by the Chair Sit-and-Reach Test

  Lower-body flexibility will be assessed using the Chair Sit-and-Reach Test. The distance between the fingertips and toes will be measured, with negative values indicating that the toes are not reached and positive values indicating that the fingertips extend beyond the toes.

  Baseline, 3 months, and 6 months

• Handgrip Strength

  Handgrip strength will be measured using a digital handgrip dynamometer. Participants will perform two trials using the dominant hand, and the best value will be recorded in kilograms.

  Baseline, 3 months, and 6 months

• Upper-Body Endurance Assessed by the 60-Second Arm Curl Test

  Upper-body endurance will be assessed by the number of arm curls completed within 60 seconds while seated. Men will use a 3.63-kg (8-lb) dumbbell and women will use a 2.27-kg (5-lb) dumbbell.

  Baseline, 3 months, and 6 months

• Lower-Body Endurance Assessed by the 60-Second Chair Sit-to-Stand Test

  Lower-body endurance will be assessed by the number of complete sit-to-stand repetitions performed within 60 seconds without using the arms for assistance.

  Baseline, 3 months, and 6 months

• Sleep Quality Assessed by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI)

  Sleep quality will be assessed using the Thai version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Changes in the global PSQI score from baseline will be compared between and within study groups. Higher scores indicate poorer sleep quality.

  Baseline, 3 months, and 6 months

• Health-Related Quality of Life Assessed by the SF-12v2 Health Survey

  Health-related quality of life will be assessed using the Thai version of the SF-12v2 Health Survey. Physical Component Summary (PCS) and Mental Component Summary (MCS) scores will be derived, with higher scores indicating better health-related quality of life.

  Baseline, 3 months, and 6 months

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• Direct and Indirect Costs of the HBA Program

  Throughout the 6-month intervention period

• Preliminary Cost-Effectiveness of the HBA Program

  At completion of the 6-month intervention

Study Arms (2)

Usual Care

NO INTERVENTION

Participants will continue their usual daily activities, community activities, and routine health services and will not receive the Healthy Beat Acupunch (HBA) exercise program during the study period.

Healthy Beat Acupunch (HBA) Exercise Program

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants assigned to this arm will receive the Healthy Beat Acupunch (HBA) exercise program for 40 minutes per session, three times per week, for 6 months, in addition to their usual daily activities and routine health services.

Behavioral: Healthy Beat Acupunch (HBA) Exercise Program

Interventions

Healthy Beat Acupunch (HBA) Exercise Program BEHAVIORAL

The Healthy Beat Acupunch (HBA) program is a non-invasive 40-minute exercise intervention performed three times per week for 6 months (approximately 72 sessions). Each session consists of a 10-minute warm-up, 20 minutes of rhythmic acupunch movements using gentle tapping along traditional Chinese medicine meridian areas, and a 10-minute cool-down and relaxation period. During months 1-3, approximately 36 sessions are delivered in a leader-led format by trained exercise leaders. During months 4-6, approximately 36 sessions are delivered using a prerecorded HBA exercise video, with personnel present to monitor participant safety.

Healthy Beat Acupunch (HBA) Exercise Program

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 60 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Community-dwelling adults aged 60 years or older.
• Barthel Index score of 61 or higher, indicating independence or only mild dependence in activities of daily living.
• Able to stand and walk without a walking aid.
• Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire (SPMSQ) score of 8 or higher.
• Able to communicate in Thai.
• No visual or hearing impairment that would interfere with participation in the study.
• Willing to participate and able to provide written informed consent.

You may not qualify if:

• \- Severe cardiovascular or respiratory conditions that may make exercise unsafe, such as ischemic heart disease, severe cardiac arrhythmia, severe hypertension, or severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
• Severe musculoskeletal disorders that prevent participation in the exercise program.
• \- Any medical condition or medical advice indicating that the participant should not exercise.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Mahidol University: lead

Related Publications (3)

• Hsiao CY, Chen KM, Tsai HY, Huang HT, Cheng YY, Tsai AY. Self-Perceived Health and Sleep Quality of Community Older Adults after Acupunch Exercises. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2018 May;26(5):511-520. doi: 10.1016/j.jagp.2018.01.199. Epub 2018 Jan 31.

  PMID: 29433845 RESULT

• Tsai HY, Chen KM, Huang HT. Acupunch Exercise Program Development and Feasibility Evaluation for Older Adults. Rehabil Nurs. 2020 Jul/Aug;45(4):195-203. doi: 10.1097/rnj.0000000000000157.

  PMID: 29864046 RESULT

• Winitchayothin S, Chen KM, Belcastro F. Healthy Beat Acupunch Regimen Improved Physical Fitness of Thai Older Adults in Residential Homes: Quasi-Experimental Two-Group Pre-Post Study. Nurs Res. 2026 Jan-Feb 01;75(1):10-17. doi: 10.1097/NNR.0000000000000861. Epub 2025 Sep 18.

  PMID: 40970754 RESULT

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Motor Activity; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Behavior; Sleep Disorders, Intrinsic; Dyssomnias; Sleep Wake Disorders; Nervous System Diseases; Mental Disorders

Central Study Contacts

Siriluk Winitchayothin, PhD, RN

CONTACT

+66 24415333; siriluk.win@mahidol.ac.th

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: PREVENTION
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Lecturer

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: October 5, 2026
• First Posted: October 9, 2026
• Study Start (Estimated): December 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): June 1, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): September 1, 2028
• Last Updated: October 9, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-10

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share