{
  "abstract": "Background\n\nChildren undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) commonly experience anxiety, fatigue, and sleep disturbances, which may negatively affect their quality of life and recovery. Non-pharmacological interventions, including mindfulness breathing and acupoint stimulation, have emerged as supportive approaches for symptom management.Aim\n\nThis study evaluated and compared the effects of mindfulness breathing, acupoint stimulation, and routine care on anxiety, fatigue, and sleep quality among children undergoing HSCT.Methods\n\nA three-arm randomized controlled trial was conducted at the stem cell transplantation unit of Tanta University Hospitals, Egypt. Ninety children aged 7-17 years were randomly assigned to three equal groups: control (routine care), mindfulness breathing, and acupoint stimulation. The assigned interventions were delivered once daily for seven consecutive days before transplantation and continued for one month after transplantation. Anxiety, fatigue, and sleep disturbance were assessed using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children, Fatigue Severity Scale, and PROMIS Parent Proxy Sleep Disturbance Scale, respectively. Assessments were conducted at baseline, one week, and one month after intervention.Results\n\nBaseline sociodemographic and clinical characteristics were comparable among the three groups. Significant Group×Time interactions were observed for diastolic blood pressure, respiratory rate, pulse rate, anxiety, fatigue severity, and sleep disturbance scores (p < 0.001). Both mindfulness breathing and acupoint stimulation resulted in significant improvements compared with routine care. Mindfulness breathing demonstrated greater improvements across several physiological and psychological outcomes compared with acupoint stimulation and routine care.Conclusion\n\nMindfulness breathing and acupoint stimulation are promising complementary interventions for improving physiological and psychological outcomes among children undergoing HSCT. Mindfulness breathing showed greater improvements across several outcomes and may represent a useful supportive nursing intervention during the transplantation period. Further multicenter studies with longer follow-up are recommended to confirm the sustained effects of these interventions.Clinical trial registration\n\nThe Pan African Clinical Trial Registry PACTR 202407894821147. Date: 17 July 2024. www.http://pactr.samrc.ac.za.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Pediatric Nursing Department, Faculty of Nursing, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt.",
    "Department of Maternal and Child Health Nursing, College of Nursing, Qassim University, Buraydah, Saudi Arabia.",
    "Pediatric Nursing Department, Faculty of Nursing, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.",
    "Pediatric Nursing Department, Faculty of Nursing, Kafr El-Sheikh University, Kafr El-Sheikh, Egypt.",
    "Nursing Department, Fatima College of Health Sciences, Madinat Zayed, Al Dhafra Region, United Arab Emirates.",
    "Pediatric Nursing Department, Faculty of Nursing, Damanhur University, Damanhur, Egypt.",
    "Department Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt.",
    "Neuropsychiatry Department, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt."
  ],
  "article_type": "research article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 10,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Nagwa Ramadan Esmail Magor"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Abdelaziz Hendy"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Samar Eldesoky Mohamed Ads"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3
      ],
      "name": "Sahar Wasfy Mahmoud Melika"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Sahar Mahmoud Elkhedr Abdelgawad"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        4,
        5
      ],
      "name": "Rasha Kadri Ibrahim"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Randa Alsunitan"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        6
      ],
      "name": "Mohamed Ramadan Elshanshory"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        7
      ],
      "name": "Noha Fawzy Mohamed Fonon"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Seham Eid Hashem Elhalafawy"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/fvvs1sx1fqq1k.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.3389/fmed.2026.1952564",
  "fulltext_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13713256",
  "id": "fvvs1sx1fqq1k",
  "issns": [
    "2296-858X"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42952477",
  "language": "eng",
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "heading",
      "Clinical Trial"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "3203|Mindfulness and Compassion Interventions"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7221824571",
  "pdf_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13713256?pdf=render",
  "pmcid": "PMC13713256",
  "pmid": "42952477",
  "published": "2026-10-14",
  "publisher": "Frontiers Media SA",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/fvvs1sx1fqq1k.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-31T00:20:34Z",
      "native_id": "MED:42952477",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42952477"
    },
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-31T12:23:50Z",
      "native_id": "PMC13713256",
      "source": "pmc",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2026.1952564"
    }
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  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "openalex:3203|Mindfulness and Compassion Interventions",
      "subfield": "psychiatry"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Effect of mindfulness breathing versus acupoint stimulation on anxiety, fatigue, and sleep quality among children undergoing stem cell transplantation: a three-arm randomized controlled trial.",
  "title_text": "Effect of mindfulness breathing versus acupoint stimulation on anxiety, fatigue, and sleep quality among children undergoing stem cell transplantation: a three-arm randomized controlled trial.",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-01T12:20:57Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/fvvs1sx1fqq1k",
  "venue": "Frontiers in medicine",
  "versions": []
}