Effect of self-acupressure on fatigue-predominant subhealth in young and middle-aged adults: A randomized controlled trial

Fatigue is the most prominent symptom of fatigue-predominant subhealth (FPSH). Relieving fatigue can effectively reduce the occurrence and development of FPSH to help people with FPSH transform into a healthy state. This study aimed to investigate the effects of self-acupressure on young and middle-aged people with FPSH. This study was a randomized controlled trial. Fifty-four eligible participants were randomized into the experimental group (self-acupressure intervention and health education) and the control group (health education). In the experimental group, the selected acupoints were DU20, GB21, ST36, SP6, and LR3, each pressed for three minutes, once a day, 5 days a week for 4 weeks. The primary outcomes were fatigue symptoms assessed using the Fatigue Scale-14 (FS-14) and Checklist Individual Strength (CIS). Data were collected at baseline, after 2-weeks of intervention, and after 4-weeks of intervention. A generalized estimating equation was used to analyze the repeated data. The generalized estimating equation showed that there were significant interaction effects of group and time for physical fatigue scores, mental fatigue scores, total FS-14 scores, fatigue severity scores, motivation scores, and total CIS scores (P<0.05). This suggested that the scores for the primary outcomes varied over time in both groups. Compared to those in the control group, participants in the experimental group experienced significant improvements in fatigue symptoms (including physical fatigue, mental fatigue, fatigue severity, and motivation). In addition, no treatment-related adverse events were observed during the study. These findings provide evidence for the effectiveness of self-acupressure in young and middle-aged adults with FPSH.