Aerobic Exercise Intervention for PTSD Symptoms and Sleep Quality After Earthquake

Natural disasters such as earthquakes can lead to significant psychological consequences,including post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and sleep disturbances. Individuals whoexperience earthquakes and continue to live in temporary accommodation conditions mayremain exposed to ongoing stressors that negatively affect their mental health andoverall well‐being.Physical activity has been suggested as a potentially beneficial non‐pharmacologicalintervention for improving psychological health and sleep quality. Aerobic exercise inparticular has been shown to reduce stress, improve mood, and regulate sleep patterns.However, there is limited evidence regarding the effectiveness of structured aerobicexercise programs for earthquake survivors living in temporary settlement areas.This randomized controlled study investigates the effects of a moderate‐intensity aerobicexercise program on PTSD symptoms and sleep quality among adult earthquake survivorsresiding in temporary accommodation centers. Participants who meet the inclusion criteriaare randomly assigned to an intervention group or a control group. The intervention groupparticipates in supervised aerobic exercise sessions conducted twice per week for threeweeks, resulting in a total of six exercise sessions. The control group continues theirroutine daily activities without participating in the exercise program.Outcome measures include PTSD symptom severity and sleep quality assessed before andafter the intervention using validated scales. The findings of this study are expected tocontribute to the development of evidence‐based psychosocial and behavioral interventionsaimed at improving mental health outcomes among populations affected by naturaldisasters.