• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.29-36
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• 2011

Purpose: This study was develop an aromatherapy hand massage program and to evaluate the effects of aromatherapy on anxiety, depression, sleep disturbance and fatigue of the institutionalized elderly. Methods: The reserach design was a non-equivalent control group quasi-experimental study. The 42 subjects were divided into 2 groups. Aromatherapy hand massage was administrated to experimental group (N=20), and no treatment was administrated to the control group (N=22). Data was analyzed using the $x^2$-test, paried t-test, unparied t-test in the SPSS/Win 12.0 program package. Results: Experimental group showed significant differences in anxiety (p<.05), depression (p<.001 ), sleep disturbance (p<.05), fatigue (p<.05), with relation to the control group. Conclusion: The results showed that aromatherapy hand massage program was effective on anxiety, depression, sleep disturbance and fatigue of the institutionalized elderly. Thus this reserch suggests that this aromatherapy hand massage could be recommened as nursing intervention for quality of life of the institutionalized elderly.