Effects of different Chinese traditional exercises on sleep quality and mental health of adults: systematic review and meta-analysis

ObjectiveTo evaluate the effects of traditional Chinese exercises on sleep quality and mental health in adults with different health statuses.Method This review was registered a priori (CRD42023382188) and executed according to PRISMA statement guidelines. We searched the databases CNKI, China Biology Medicine disc (CBM), Wangfang, PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase from the date of database creation to March 2023. Two researchers independently screened the literature, extracted the data, evaluated the methodological quality of the included literature, and then used Revman 5.4 and Stata 17.0 for the corresponding statistical analysis and graphing.ResultsThirty-four randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included, with a total sample of 2563 adults (1276 in the experimental group and 1287 in the control group). The meta-analysis results showed that traditional Chinese exercise significantly improved sleep quality in different groups [WMD = - 1.58, 95% CI = - 2.17, - 1.00, P < 0.00001] and that Badaanjin was better than Taijiquan in improving sleep quality. For mental health, traditional Chinese exercise had good effects on anxiety [WMD = - 1.66, 95% CI = - 2.64, - 0.69, P = 0.0009] and depression [WMD = - 1.67, 95% CI = - 3.23, - 0.11, P = 0.04].ConclusionTraditional Chinese exercises can improve the quality of sleep and mental health in different groups of people and are highly recommended for good health effects.