The Effects of Aroma Foot Baths on Stress and Sleep in Terminal Cancer Patients

Abstract

PURPOSE This study aimed to investigate the effects of aroma foot baths on stress and sleep in terminally ill cancer patients. METHODS We performed a non-randomized intervention-control study with 30 terminal cancer patients who were admitted to a palliative care unit. Participants responded to questionnaires on stress and sleep before and after a 5-day interval. The intervention group received a daily aroma foot bath for 5 days. We performed multivariate regression analysis to examine the changes in outcomes on stress and sleep for the intervention group compared to the control group. RESULTS The differences in baseline characteristics between groups, excluding subjective economic status and general weakness, did not show statistical significance. In contrast to the control group, the intervention group showed a statistically significant change in physical stress and psychological stress levels, but significant changes were not observed in quality of sleep. Compared to the control group, the intervention group showed a significant reduction in physical stress (P=0.068) and psychological stress (P=0.021). CONCLUSION Aroma foot baths are effective for reducing stress in patients hospitalized with terminal cancer.