Effects of Self-acupunctural Hand Massage Using Aromatic Oil on Alleviating the Stress, Fatigue, and Vital Signs of Korean Middle-Aged Women.

The study aimed to examine the effects of self-acupunctural hand massage using aromatic oil on the stress, fatigue, and vital signs of Korean middle-aged women. A quasi-experimental study using a pretest/posttest control group, nonsynchronized design was employed. The study participants consisted of 55 middle-aged women (27 in the experiment group and 28 in the control group), who visited a community center in Seoul, South Korea. Self-acupunctural hand massage using aromatic oil as an experimental intervention was performed once per day, 6 minutes per session for the left and right hands each, for 3 weeks. A questionnaire was designed to measure the general characteristics, stress, fatigue, and vital signs (blood pressure and pulse rate). There were significant differences in the degrees of stress, fatigue, and vital signs (blood pressure) between the 2 groups. Self-acupunctural hand massage using aromatic oil decreased the stress, fatigue, and vital signs (blood pressure) of Korean middle-aged women. Self-acupunctural hand massage using aromatic oil can be utilized as an effective nursing intervention for decreasing stress, fatigue, and vital signs (blood pressure) for middle-aged women in clinical practice.

Effects of Auricular Acupressure Therapy on Stress and Sleep Disturbance of Middle-Aged Women in South Korea.

This study sought to examine the effect of auricular acupressure therapy on the stress and sleep status of middle-aged women in South Korea. A quasi-experimental pretest/posttest control group design was employed. The study sample consisted of 67 middle-aged women (experimental: 35 samples; control: 32 samples) in Seoul, South Korea. Auricular acupressure therapy including the auricular acupressure needle on the skin paper tape was applied on an ear for 2 weeks, 2 times per week. The acupoints were Gyogam, Sinmun, Bushin, Naebunbi, and Pijilha. For the placebo control group, only the skin paper tape without the auricular acupressure needle was applied on the same acupoints. Measures were a stress scale, cortisol level in blood, and a sleep status scale. The findings showed that there were significant differences on stress (physical: t = 2.170, P < .033; psychological: t = 2.117, P < .037), cortisol level in blood (t = 2.277, P < .025), and sleep status (t = -3.127, P < .004). Health care providers should consider providing auricular acupressure therapy as an alternative method for reducing physical and psychological stress, cortisol level in blood, and sleep disturbance of middle-aged women in South Korea.

Relationships between menopausal syndrome and sleeping of middle-aged women.

[Purpose] This study aimed to examine the correlation between menopausal syndrome and sleep state of middle-aged women, and to examine the factors influencing menopausal syndrome. [Subjects] The subjects included 59 middle-aged women in Seoul, South Korea. [Methods] A cross-sectional design was adopted. The measurement tools were a general characteristics form, Menopause Symptom Index (MENSI), and sleep state scale. [Results] There was a significantly negative correlation between menopausal syndrome and sleep state of middle-aged women. The analyses showed that the prediction model was significant. The value of the adjusted R(2) was 0.279, which corresponds to an explanatory power of 27.9%. The factor found to have the most influence on menopausal syndrome of middle-aged women was sleep state, followed by sexual life satisfaction, and health status. [Conclusion] Nursing intervention programs for alleviating menopausal syndrome of middle-aged women are essential in order to improve sleep state, sexual life satisfaction, and health status. The findings from this study will contribute to help them for controlling and relieving the menopausal syndrome of middle-aged women.