SynthesisJournal of clinical nursing2025
The Effectiveness of Acupressure on Sleep Quality in Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomised Controlled Trials.
Synthesis in Journal of clinical nursing, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Non-pharmacological therapies for sleep and occupational stress regulation among nightshift nurses: a systematic review and Bayesian network meta-analysis based on randomized controlled trials.Frontiers in public health · 2026Pooled it
- Effects of self-acupressure on the fatigue-sleep disturbance-depression symptom cluster in breast cancer survivors: a phase III randomised controlled trial.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2026Trial
- Trial
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
aimsTo examine the effectiveness of acupressure on sleep quality in cancer patients and to identify the population-level and intervention-level characteristics associated with the intervention outcome of sleep quality.
designSystematic review and meta-analysis. DATA SOURCES: PubMed, EMBASE, APA PsycInfo, Web of Science, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure and WanFang were searched for eligible randomised controlled trials from inception to April 2024.
methodsMethodological quality was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool for Randomised Trials 2.0. A random-effects model was used for the meta-analysis. Subgroup analyses and the meta-regression aimed to investigate potential heterogeneity and identify characteristics that may be associated with more favourable acupressure outcomes.
resultsIn total, 22 randomised controlled trials involving 2113 participants were included in this meta-analysis. Compared with various control groups, acupressure exhibited a significant beneficial effect on sleep quality in cancer patients at post-intervention (SMD = -1.38, 95% CI [-1.81, -0.95], p < 0.001) and at 4-week follow-up (SMD = -0.33, 95% CI [-0.56, -0.10], p = 0.004). Acupressure also showed statistically significant improvements in sleep efficiency (SMD = 0.77, 95% CI [0.27, 1.26], p = 0.002) and total sleep time (SMD = 0.68, 95% CI [0.15, 1.22], p = 0.010) at post-intervention. None of the characteristics significantly affected the overall effect size on sleep quality.
conclusionsAcupressure appears to be a promising intervention for enhancing sleep quality among cancer patients. Future studies should elucidate the long-term effects of acupressure on sleep quality, identify effective acupressure characteristics and determine which types of cancer patients benefit from this intervention. IMPACT: This study provides a comprehensive summary of evidence supporting the use of acupressure to enhance sleep quality in cancer patients and demonstrates its effectiveness in clinical nursing practice. REPORTING
methodPRISMA 2020 statement. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: No Patient or Public Contribution.
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