Effect of cyclic meditation on anxiety and sleep quality in sailors on merchant ships—A quasi-experimental study
Date
2024
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Frontiers in Public Health
Abstract
Background: Sailors undergo anxiety and sleep disturbances due to prolonged
journeys and the nature of their work on ships. Earlier studies indicate Cyclic
Meditation (CM) being beneficial for managing anxiety and improving sleep
quality. Thus, the current study was designed to investigate the effect of CM on
anxiety and sleep quality among sailors.
Materials and methods: Fifty sailors were assigned to experimental (n = 25) and
control (n = 25) groups. The experimental group received 45 min of CM, 7 days a
week for 3 weeks. Control group continued with their routine activities and were
offered CM practice the following 3 weeks. Hamilton Anxiety Scale for anxiety
(HAM-A) and the Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) for sleep along with blood
pressure and pulse rate were taken at baseline and by the end of 3 weeks. Data
were analyzed using Repeated Measures Analysis of Variance (RM ANOVA) for
within and between group effects.
Results: Significant differences were found between the groups following
3 weeks for all the variables. Experimental group demonstrated reduced anxiety
(p < 0.001) and improved sleep (p < 0.001) along with improvements in blood
pressure and pulse rate. The control group did not show any significant changes
following 3 weeks.
Conclusion: CM could be incorporated as a routine for sailors to manage their
anxiety and improve sleep quality during the period on board ships.
Description
Keywords
yoga, shipping, occupational health, meditation, sleep, psychological health
Citation
Paranthatta S, George T, Vinaya HM, Swathi PS, Pandey M, Pradhan B, Babu N and Saoji AA (2024) Effect of cyclic meditation on anxiety and sleep quality in sailors on merchant ships—A quasi-experimental study. Front. Public Health 12:1363750. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1363750