Effects of Aroma Foot Massage on Sleep Quality and Constipation Relief among the Older Adults Living in Residential Nursing Facilities

Abstract

This study focused on the effects of aroma foot massage on sleep quality and constipation relief among older adult residents in nursing facilities. This research used a non-equivalent control group and a quasi-experimental design. The participants included 40 older adults aged ≥70 years residing in two nursing facilities in Seoul City. The aroma foot massage nursing intervention consisted of a preparation stage using jojoba carrier (aroma recipe) oil and lavender oil, an aroma foot massage stage, and a finishing stage. Sleep quality scores after the experiment increased by 3.72 at post-test (M = 38.44) compared to pre-test (M = 34.72), which confirmed that sleep quality improved significantly following intervention in the experimental group as compared to the control group (F = 14.45, p = 0.001). Furthermore, the frequency of defecation in the experimental group was significantly higher than that in the control group (Z = −3.93, p < 0.001). Similarly, the constipation assessment scores decreased at post-test significantly by 2.39 in the experimental group as compared to the control group (F = 17.87, p < 0.001). These results confirm that aroma foot massage is an effective nursing intervention for alleviating constipation symptoms and improving sleep quality. Therefore, we recommend that aroma foot massage be used as a complementary intervention in combination with drug-based treatment to improve sleep quality and relieve the constipation symptoms experienced by older adults living in nursing facilities.

Constipation among Korean older adults in long-term care facilities: A scoping review

“…Eight articles (100.0%) [A1-A8] used defecation frequency to measure constipation, followed by four articles (50.0%) [A1,A2,A4,A8] that examined defecation-related characteristics and three articles (37.5%) [A1, A2, A8] that examined the actual condition of constipation. Except for the studies by Park et al [32] [A2] and Kang et al [36] [A7], the frequency of defecation per week was used [A1,A3-A6,A8], and the frequency of defecation was confirmed by the facility's medical records or defecation diary. Furthermore, the included studies identified defecation-related characteristics [A1,A2,A4,A8] such as defecation habits, time required to defecate, associated symptoms, difficulty in defecating, abdominal discomfort and pain, constipation symptoms, and constipation condition [A1,A2,A8] such as constipation, constipation before admission, use of non-pharmacological therapies, use of constipation medications, and use of laxatives.…”

“…For the content analysis, we divided the articles included in this study into article number, author name and year of publication, study objectives, study subjects, measures used to assess constipation, main results, constipation-related factors (general characteristics, health-related factors, diet-related factors), and intervention characteristics (type, method, target, session, intervention time per session, intervention frequency, intervention duration, intervention provider), and results are shown in Table 2~4 (Appendix 1) [11,[31][32][33][34][35][36][37].…”

“…In six intervention studies on constipation, abdominal massage was used by Song [31] [A3] and Hong and Gu [37] [A8], and aromatic foot massage by Kang et al [36] [A7]; all showed a significant increase in defecation frequency after massage. Moreover, Song [31] [A3] and Kang et al [36] [A7] showed a decrease in the Constipation Assessment Scale (CAS) score, and Hong and Gu [37] [A8] showed an effect on defecation-related characteristics, confirming that massage is effective as a constipation relief program in institutionalized older adults.…”

“…In six intervention studies on constipation, abdominal massage was used by Song [31] [A3] and Hong and Gu [37] [A8], and aromatic foot massage by Kang et al [36] [A7]; all showed a significant increase in defecation frequency after massage. Moreover, Song [31] [A3] and Kang et al [36] [A7] showed a decrease in the Constipation Assessment Scale (CAS) score, and Hong and Gu [37] [A8] showed an effect on defecation-related characteristics, confirming that massage is effective as a constipation relief program in institutionalized older adults. Kim et al [34] [A5] highlighted that defecation frequency and the Bristol Stool Scale (BSS) score increased significantly after acupressure, whereas Wang et al [35] [A6], showed that both the CAS and Bowel Function Assessment Form (BFAF) were significantly different after silver spike Constipation in institutionalized Korean elders https://doi.org/10.17079/jkgn.2023.00213 point (SSP) electrostimulation and acupuncture.…”

STandards for Reporting Interventions in Clinical Trials Of Tuina/Massage (STRICTOTM): Extending the CONSORT statement

“…9,10 Indeed, there is an increasing number of clinical trials on massage for different conditions, particular in the diseases of the musculoskeletal system or connective tissue, nervous system, digestive system, gynecological and pediatric diseases, even for some subhealth status with symptoms, signs or clinical findings but not be definitely diagnosed. 7,[11][12][13] More researchers and clinical practitioners are investigating the underlying mechanism(s) of the above clinical efficacy, such as why the intervention can reduce different types of pain. 14,15 The results reported that the functions of massage could be summarized as boosting blood circulation, removing blockages, realigning the musculoskeletal structure, and enhancing the body's natural healing abilities.…”