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ColonoscopyNCT07728890

Effect of Box Breathing Exercise on Anxiety, Pain, and Pulmonary Function Tests in Patients Undergoing Colonoscopy

A study testing box breathing exercises in people with Colonoscopy, run by Tarsus University.

Not yet recruiting

Opening soon. The study is approved but enrolment has not started yet. Sites may already take enquiries.

Sites and contacts
Official record
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Trial summary

This study is a prospective, randomized controlled clinical trial designed to determine the effect of box breathing exercises on anxiety, pain, and pulmonary function in patients undergoing colonoscopy. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Colonoscopy
What is being tested?
box breathing exercises
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
68 participants
Where
No sites listed yet
Study dates
1 Dec 2026to 15 Sep 2027
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
Not yet: the study is under way

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 years and older
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • are 18 years of age or older;
  • are scheduled to undergo colonoscopy;
  • are conscious, oriented, and able to cooperate;
  • provide written informed consent to participate in the study;
  • are able to speak and understand Turkish; and
  • have no physical disabilities that would interfere with study participation.

Who cannot join

  • decline to participate or choose to withdraw from the study;
  • have a chronic respiratory disease;
  • have chest pain;
  • have nasal abnormalities (e.g., nasal septal deviation) or adenoid hypertrophy -that may affect ventilation;
  • have previously practiced box breathing exercises; or
  • have chronic pain.

Trial locations and contacts

No sites are listed yet. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.

GAMZE BOZKUL contact

gamze.bozkul@gmail.com

About this study

Official title: Effect of Box Breathing Exercise on Anxiety, Pain, and Pulmonary Function Tests in Patients Undergoing Colonoscopy: Randomized Controlled Trial

This study is a prospective, randomized controlled clinical trial designed to determine the effect of box breathing exercises on anxiety, pain, and pulmonary function in patients undergoing colonoscopy. Data will be collected using the Participant Characteristics Form, State Anxiety Inventory (SAI), Visual Analog Scale (VAS), and Pulmonary Function Test Monitoring Form. Patients scheduled for colonoscopy who meet the inclusion criteria will be informed about the study, and written informed consent will be obtained.

Upon arrival at the endoscopy unit, all participants will complete the Participant Characteristics Form and the State Anxiety Inventory (SAI) under the supervision of researcher MA. Baseline pulmonary function tests will be performed using the Contec SP-10 Spirometer (China).

Read more

After confirming eligibility and obtaining written informed consent, researcher GB will notify researcher YG, who will determine the participant's group allocation and communicate it to GB according to the randomization sequence.

Before the procedure, 34 patients allocated to the intervention group will receive the box breathing intervention, whereas 34 patients in the control group will receive routine pre-procedural care.

Patients in the intervention group will receive instruction from researcher GB on the box breathing technique (4-4-4-4 breathing) upon arrival at the endoscopy unit. The exercise consists of inhaling through the nose for 4 seconds, holding the breath for 4 seconds, exhaling slowly through the mouth for 4 seconds, and holding the breath again for 4 seconds, constituting one complete cycle. Participants will be instructed to continue practicing this breathing exercise until they are transferred to the procedure room.

Participants in the control group will receive the unit's standard pre-procedural care. As part of routine practice, vital signs are assessed before the procedure. To maintain patient privacy, participants remove their clothing and wear a surgical gown. After being positioned in the left lateral position, petroleum jelly is applied to the anal region, and the colonoscopy is performed using a flexible colonoscope. All colonoscopy procedures will be performed by the same gastroenterology specialist to ensure procedural consistency.

Immediately after the procedure, the State Anxiety Inventory (SAI), Visual Analog Scale (VAS), and Pulmonary Function Test Monitoring Form will be administered by researcher MA.

Read the detailed description

This study is a prospective, randomized controlled clinical trial designed to determine the effect of box breathing exercises on anxiety, pain, and pulmonary function in patients undergoing colonoscopy. Data will be collected using the Participant Characteristics Form, State Anxiety Inventory (SAI), Visual Analog Scale (VAS), and Pulmonary Function Test Monitoring Form. Patients scheduled for colonoscopy who meet the inclusion criteria will be informed about the study, and written informed consent will be obtained.

Upon arrival at the endoscopy unit, all participants will complete the Participant Characteristics Form and the State Anxiety Inventory (SAI) under the supervision of researcher MA. Baseline pulmonary function tests will be performed using the Contec SP-10 Spirometer (China).

After confirming eligibility and obtaining written informed consent, researcher GB will notify researcher YG, who will determine the participant's group allocation and communicate it to GB according to the randomization sequence.

Before the procedure, 34 patients allocated to the intervention group will receive the box breathing intervention, whereas 34 patients in the control group will receive routine pre-procedural care.

Patients in the intervention group will receive instruction from researcher GB on the box breathing technique (4-4-4-4 breathing) upon arrival at the endoscopy unit. The exercise consists of inhaling through the nose for 4 seconds, holding the breath for 4 seconds, exhaling slowly through the mouth for 4 seconds, and holding the breath again for 4 seconds, constituting one complete cycle. Participants will be instructed to continue practicing this breathing exercise until they are transferred to the procedure room.

Participants in the control group will receive the unit's standard pre-procedural care. As part of routine practice, vital signs are assessed before the procedure. To maintain patient privacy, participants remove their clothing and wear a surgical gown. After being positioned in the left lateral position, petroleum jelly is applied to the anal region, and the colonoscopy is performed using a flexible colonoscope. All colonoscopy procedures will be performed by the same gastroenterology specialist to ensure procedural consistency.

Immediately after the procedure, the State Anxiety Inventory (SAI), Visual Analog Scale (VAS), and Pulmonary Function Test Monitoring Form will be administered by researcher MA. Data will be analyzed using statistical software. Participants' descriptive characteristics will be summarized using mean ± standard deviation, median (minimum-maximum), frequencies, and percentages, as appropriate. Qualitative variables recorded in the patient follow-up form will be categorized and converted into quantitative data, and the results will be presented as frequencies and percentages.

Conditions
Colonoscopy
Being tested
box breathing exercises
Keywords
anxiety, pain, Pulmonary Function Test
Medical subject headings
Anxiety Disorders, Pain

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • box breathing exercisesOther

    Patients in the intervention group will receive instruction from researcher GB on the box breathing technique (4-4-4-4 breathing) upon arrival at the endoscopy unit. The exercise consists of inhaling through the nose for 4 seconds, holding the breath for 4 seconds, exhaling slowly through the mouth for 4 seconds, and holding the breath again for 4 seconds, constituting one complete cycle. Participants will be instructed to continue practicing this breathing exercise until they are transferred to the procedure room.

Study groups in NCT07728890
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Experimental groupExperimentalPatients in the intervention group will receive instruction from researcher GB on the box breathing technique (4-4-4-4 breathing) upon arrival at the endoscopy unit. The exercise consists of inhaling through the nose for 4 seconds, holding the breath for 4 seconds, exhaling slowly through the mouth for 4 seconds, and holding the breath again for 4 seconds, constituting one complete cycle. Participants will be instructed to continue practicing this breathing exercise until they are transferred to the procedure room.
Receives: Other: box breathing exercises
Control groupNo interventionParticipants in the control group will receive the unit's standard pre-procedural care. As part of routine practice, vital signs are assessed before the procedure. To maintain patient privacy, participants remove their clothing and wear a surgical gown. After being positioned in the left lateral position, petroleum jelly is applied to the anal region, and the colonoscopy is performed using a flexible colonoscope. All colonoscopy procedures will be performed by the same gastroenterology specialist to ensure procedural consistency.

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Anxiety

    The State Anxiety Scale : In this study, the DAQ, which is structured to measure momentary feelings, was used. Its Turkish validity and reliability was conducted by Öner and Le Compte in 1983. The DAQ consists of 20 questions on a four-point Likert scale. The statements in the DAQ are evaluated as not at all (1), a little (2), a lot (3) and completely (4). In this section, the statements are divided into direct and reversed statements. Inverted statements: 1st, 2nd, 5th, 5th, 8th, 8th, 10th, 11th, 15th, 16th, 19th, 20th items. The total score of the reversed statements is subtracted from the total score of the direct statements and the number 50, which is the invariant value of the DAQ, is added to the value obtained and the DAQ score is calculated. The scale score ranges between 20-80 and an increase in the score indicates an increase in the level of anxiety.

    Measured: 12 months

  2. Procedural Pain

    It is a scale that provides a subjective assessment of pain on a horizontal or vertical line from 0 (no pain at all)-10 (very severe pain) to evaluate the level of pain

    Measured: 12 months

  3. Pulmonary function test

    This form is used to record pre-procedural and post-procedural pulmonary function test (PFT) parameters

    Measured: 12 months

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted27 Jul 2026
  2. Study start1 Dec 2026 (estimated)
  3. Primary completion15 Jun 2027 (estimated)
  4. Study completion15 Sep 2027 (estimated)

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Other
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Model description
This study is a prospective, randomized controlled clinical trial designed
Masking
Quadruple blind
Who is masked
Participant, Care provider, Investigator, Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
68 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT07728890
Sponsor's protocol ID
TU-BOZKUL-021
Status last verified
Nov 2026
First submitted
20 Jul 2026
Last updated
6 Nov 2026
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No

Publications

  • Balban MY, Neri E, Kogon MM, Weed L, Nouriani B, Jo B, Holl G, Zeitzer JM, Spiegel D, Huberman AD. Brief structured respiration practices enhance mood and reduce physiological arousal. Cell Rep Med. 2023 Jan 17;4(1):100895. doi: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2022.100895. Epub 2023 Jan 10.

    PubMed 36630953
  • Chen J, Peng LH, Min S. Implementation of perioperative breathing exercises and its effect on postoperative pulmonary complications and long-term prognosis in elderly patients undergoing laparoscopic colorectal surgery: A randomized controlled trial. Clin Rehabil. 2022 Sep;36(9):1229-1243. doi: 10.1177/02692155221097762. Epub 2022 May 29.

    PubMed 35635180
  • 14. Šantek, N., Režić-Palaversa, T., Vilč, B., Mayer, L., Šoštarić, M., Mrzljak, A., ... & Cigrovski-Berković, M. (2023). Single session preoperative breathing exercise education may influence postoperative outcomes in open colorectal cancer surgery. Libri oncologici: Croatian journal of oncology, 51(2-3), 76-84. https://doi.org/10.20471/LO.2023.51.02-03.12

  • 12. Küçükakça Çelik, G., Gümüş, K., Taylan, S., & Ertural, F. (2025). The relationship between preprocedure anxiety level and postprocedure abdominal pain and distention in patients undergoing colonoscopy: A descriptive study. Lokman Hekim Health Sciences, 5(3), 305-311. https://doi.org/10.14744/lhhs.2025.49607

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing box breathing exercises in people with Colonoscopy, run by Tarsus University.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 6 inclusion and 6 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: opening soon, as of the sponsor's last update on 6 Nov 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

Contact Gamze Bozkul (+903246000033, gamze.bozkul@gmail.com), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Anxiety (time frame: 12 months). The study lists 3 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT07728890, which also lists 4 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 6 Nov 2026.

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