Investigating the Effect of Progressive Muscle Relaxation on the Level of Anxiety and Vital Signs of Hospitalized Elderly

Background and Objective: Anxiety is a common problem in old age. This research was conducted to determine the effect of progressive muscle relaxation on the level of anxiety and vital signs of hospitalized elderly patients with chronic diseases. Materials and Methods: This study was a two-group, single-blind, randomized clinical trial conducted on all elderly patients hospitalized in Rasool Akram (PBUH) Hospital in Kalaleh, except those in the intensive care unit and coronary care unit. In the intervention and control groups, 38 hospitalized elderly patients were included after assessing inclusion and exclusion criteria. In the intervention group, the progressive muscle relaxation technique was performed for 3 consecutive days. The method of data collection included the valid and reliable Beck's Anxiety Inventory, a demographic information form, and a checklist of vital signs including systolic and diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing. Ethical considerations were observed in this study. The results were analyzed using SPSS22 software and descriptive and analytical statistical tests. Results: The participants in this study were mostly women, 83.33% with an average age of 69.94 years in the control group and 72.5 years in the intervention group. The results of the study showed that although progressive muscle relaxation caused a decrease in the average anxiety of the elderly in the intervention group, this change was not significant. However, it caused significant downward changes in the vital signs of the elderly over time (P<0.05). Conclusion: These results can help doctors and health professionals provide more appropriate solutions for managing and controlling anxiety and vital signs.