Effect of lavender and rosemary aromatherapy on test anxiety in chiropractic students.

OBJECTIVE: Test anxiety is a debilitating disorder that can impair cognitive performance and affect academic success. Aromatherapy is commonly used for relaxation therapy. The primary aim of the study was to determine if nasal inhaler aromatherapy, utilizing a blend of rosemary and lavender essential oils, could be a useful strategy to reduce testing anxiety in students. METHODS: This study recruited first trimester chiropractic students enrolled in both Neuroanatomy I and Biochemistry I. A randomized crossover design was utilized over 2 study days during final exams, with a 2-day wash-out period. Participants were randomly assigned into groups based on results of test anxiety analysis. On each day, students were given a nasal inhaler with either an aromatherapy blend of lavender and rosemary essential oils or distilled water as the control. Students completed pretest surveys and posttest surveys to rate their anxiety levels. Paired sample t-tests were performed to determine group differences in test anxiety. Both intention-to-treat and per-protocol analyses were conducted. RESULTS: Forty-five students were randomly assigned into the study, whereas only 38 completed per-protocol. Between group comparisons showed no statistically significant difference between change in anxiety scores between aromatherapy and control for both intention-to-treat (p =.10) and per-protocol (p =.07). CONCLUSION: Use of personal inhalers and aromatherapy diffusers were not shown to reduce test anxiety in a chiropractic population under high-stakes examination. Other options should be explored for future research.

Aromatherapy for test anxiety in chiropractic students.

OBJECTIVE: Up to 85% of college students experience test anxiety, which may contribute to decreased academic performance. The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility of recruiting chiropractic students for a randomized trial involving aromatherapy for anxiety reduction. METHODS: This study enrolled chiropractic students who were randomly assigned to separate rooms during a biochemistry test. Waterless diffusers dispersed a lemon and rosemary blend of essential oils in the experimental room and water in the control room. Students completed pretest surveys rating current and general anxiety. Posttest surveys included rating current anxiety. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was preformed to determine within- and between-group differences for current anxiety. Feasibility was the primary aim, and the statistical significance of anxiety test scores between rooms was the secondary aim. RESULTS: Sixty-four students were included in the study. The feasibility of research methods was noted for adherence to the study protocol (informed consent, randomization, and survey distribution and completion) and resource allocation. Design improvements are required in recruitment methods, follow-up surveys, and intervention blinding. ANCOVA for between-group comparisons showed no statistically significant difference between groups' pre- and posttest anxiety scores (p = .22). Two reported side effects, eye and sinus irritation, could not be attributed to treatment group. Most students were willing to use aromatherapy for test anxiety in the future. CONCLUSION: We demonstrated feasibility in conducting a randomized study to measure the influence of aromatherapy on test anxiety in chiropractic students. A powered, randomized study is needed to determine if aromatherapy may be effective in reducing test anxiety.

Influence of cooking skills and nutritional training on dietary choices of incoming chiropractic students.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to identify chiropractic students' cooking skills, perceptions of healthy eating, and influence of prior nutrition training on dietary intake. METHODS: Two cohorts of incoming graduate students were surveyed to assess nutritional training prior to matriculation, perceptions of healthy eating behaviors, cooking skills, current dietary intake, and barriers to healthy eating. Using independent t tests, correlations, and descriptive statistics, data from the cohorts were assessed. RESULTS: The response rate was 88.7% (n = 178). Nutritional training significantly increased perception of nutritional knowledge and confidence in giving nutrition advice. Completion of at least 1 college nutrition course was associated with nearly double students' weekly fatty fish intake. Males were more likely to eat animal protein, and females preferred desserts. Modeling a healthy diet for future patients was rated as being important, yet most students consumed diets consistent with the typical American diet. The leading barriers to healthy eating included lack of time and money. CONCLUSION: Similar to students in other healthcare professions, incoming chiropractic students wish to model healthy behaviors but fail to apply their knowledge and attitudes to their own dietary intakes due to common barriers.

The influence of online review videos on gross anatomy course performance among doctor of chiropractic students.

OBJECTIVE: Technology-enhanced learning is on the rise within healthcare education. This pilot study evaluated the relationship between the use of online review videos and students' performance and satisfaction in gross anatomy. METHODS: For this quasi-experimental study, we developed a series of online gross anatomy review videos, and surveyed students enrolled in a doctor of chiropractic program regarding use of the videos and their attitudes towards using the videos. Ordinal regression was used to evaluate the relationship between students' video use and course performance and the Mann-Whitney U test was used to determine whether there was a difference in course performance between students who did and did not report using the review videos. RESULTS: We received 143 responses to our survey, resulting in a 73.3% response rate. Most students (71%) had engaged with the online review videos. No significant differences in course performance were detected between students who did and did not report using the videos. Many students (82%) reported the review videos as being "helpful" and 73% perceived them as "an enjoyable way to study." CONCLUSION: While chiropractic students perceived a series of online gross anatomy review videos as being an enjoyable and helpful way to study, engagement with this form of technology-enhanced learning did not have an impact on their overall gross anatomy course performance.

Outcomes of a mentored research competition for authoring pediatric case reports in chiropractic.

OBJECTIVE: A chiropractic pediatric specialist often encounters novel clinical findings not reported currently in the literature. This project matched board certified chiropractic pediatric specialists with a mentor experienced in scientific writing to co-author a research paper to add to the literature base available on chiropractic pediatric practice. METHODS: Clinicians who had received their Diplomate in Clinical Chiropractic Pediatrics and mentors in scientific writing were teamed up. Two surveys were conducted to collect quantitative data, and focus groups were held to gather qualitative data about the overall experience of the mentor and mentee (clinicians) participating in the study. The first survey was sent to the clinicians to gather information about their research idea and their experience in research. The second survey was conducted upon project completion by clinicians and mentors. A project wiki was used as a communication strategy. RESULTS: Ten reports were submitted by authorship teams. Time spent on this project was an average of 58 hours by clinicians and 36 hours by the mentors. Mentors aided by adding content material, editing manuscripts, and educating the clinicians in the art of writing a paper. Improvements for this project included clearer mentoring guidelines and not using the wiki as a communication venue. CONCLUSION: The project ultimately fulfilled the goal of using a mentorship model to facilitate scientific writing education and ease the anxiety of authoring a first publication. The overall experience was "good"; however, there are opportunities for improvement.