• The Korean Journal of Health Service Management
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.229-239
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• 2018

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the effects of auricular acupressure on fatigue and depression among patients undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer. Methods: A nonequivalent control group nonsynchronized design was employed. Data were collected from December 2017 to May 2018, in the cancer center at a hospital located in B city. The experimental group received auricular acupressure four times a day, for 5 days, followed by a 2-day rest period. The control group received routine nursing care. The data were analyzed with independent t-tests, using the SPSS 21.0 program. Results: The level of fatigue and depression was lower in the experimental group as compared to that in the control group(t=5.29, p<.001; t=2.21, p=.038, respectively). However, depression scores increased post-intervention in the experimental group, as compared to the pre-intervention scores. Conclusions: The findings confirmed that auricular acupressure decreased fatigue however, depression scores increased post-intervention in the experimental group, as compared to the pre-intervention.

• The Korean Journal of Rehabilitation Nursing
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.21-28
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• 2007

Purpose: This study was to examine the effects of auricular acupressure therapy on insomnia of hemodialysis patients. Method: The subjects were recruited at a hemodialysis room in B General hospital in Kyonggi-Do. Thirty one patients who have suffered from insomnia were conveniently assigned to an experimental group(n=16) and a control group(n=15). The experimental group received a 2-week intervention composed of a series of six auricular acupressure therapy every 2~3 days. The effect of intervention was measured by completion of a 15-item sleep scale and a sleep satisfaction scale. Result: The sleep score was higher in the experimental group than in the control group(p=.000). The sleep satisfaction score was higher in the experimental group than in the control group(p=.000). Conclusion: The auricular acupressure therapy can improve the sleep and sleep satisfaction scores in hemodialysis patients with insomnia. Auricular acupressure therapy can be used at the clinical settings as a safe and effective independent nursing intervention to decrease insomnia in hemodialysis patients.

• Journal of East-West Nursing Research
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.103-109
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• 2015

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of auricular acupressure therapy on back pain and lower abdominal pain in female undergraduate students during menstruation. Methods: The study used a quasi-experimental design. Data was collected from March 15th to June 31st, 2011. The participants were 20 female university students for the experimental group, and 22 female university students for the control group. visual analogue scale (VAS) with the opening records was used to assess back pain and lower abdominal pain. Data was analyzed using the ${\chi}^2$-test, Fisher's exact test, Mann-Whitney U test, and Wilcoxon signed rank test using the SPSS/WIN 11.0 program. Results: There were statistically significant differences in back pain and lower abdominal pain between the two groups. Auricular acupressure therapy decreased back pain and lower abdominal pain in the experimental group compared to the control group. Conclusion: The study results show that auricular acupressure therapy is effective in improving back pain and lower abdominal pain in female university students during menstruation. Therefore, auricular acupressure therapy can be considered a useful nursing intervention to promote improvements in back pain and lower abdominal pain related to menstruation.

• The Korean Journal of Health Service Management
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.81-92
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• 2019

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the effects of auricular acupressure on anxiety and sleep among patients undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer. Methods: A nonequivalent control group nonsynchronized design was employed. The experimental group received auricular acupressure on specific acupoints (shenmen, heart, kidney, subcortex), and the control group received auricular acupressure on helix 1, helix 2, helix 3, and helix 4 three times a day for three weeks. A total of 60 women were divided into an experimental (n=30) and control (n=30) group. Patient recruitment occurred between May and August 2019. The collected data were analyzed by a chi-square test, paired t-test, and independent t-tests using the SPSS 21.0 program. Results: There was a significant decrease in anxiety(t=4.61, p=<.001) and increase in sleep(t=3.81, p=<.001) in the experimental group compared to the control group. Conclusions: The findings confirm that auricular acupressure is an effective nursing intervention to decrease anxiety felt by patients undergoing chemotherapy and to increase the quality of their sleep.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.79-89
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• 2019

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to determine effects of auricular acupressure on knee pain, range of motion, and sleep in the elderly with knee osteoarthritis. Methods: This is an experimental study designed with randomization and single-blind in a placebo-control approach. The subjects included the elderly with knee osteoarthritis who were using an elderly welfare facility. In each of the groups, 28 subjects were assigned. For the experimental group, auricular acupressure was applied to five pressure points related to the pain caused by osteoarthritis and sleep. In the case of the placebo-control group, auricular acupressure was applied to other five points than the former. The intervention lasted eight weeks. In order to examine intervention effects of auricular acupressure, joint pain, Pressure Pain Thresholds (PPTs), and extension and flexion range of motion (ROM) were measured weekly. As for the preand post-examinations, pain, sleep quality, and the time-by-sleep stage of the patients with knee osteoarthritis were measured. Results: The VAS scores in the experimental group with auricular acupressure significantly decreased through time (p<.001) and WOMAC also significantly decreased (p<.01) compared with the placebo-control group. However, there were no significant differences in PPTs. The flexion (p<.01) and extension (p<.001) ROMs measured for eight weeks improved over time. Meanwhile, sleep quality improved significantly after the intervention termination (p<.01), but there was no significant difference found in the time-by-sleep stage. Conclusion: Auricular acupressure applied for eight weeks was found to be effective in reducing joint pain, improving knee ROM, and improving sleep quality in patients with degenerative knee arthritis.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.689-699
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• 2022

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of auricular acupressure on constipation and depression in shift-work nurses. The data was collected from May to June 2021 at A hospital in area I, and 40 nurses working in shifts participated in this study. This study was an open-label randomized controlled trial. 40 nurses who had constipation were randomized to the experimental group (n=20) or control group (n=20). Auricular acupressure was performed for 2 weeks at the corresponding points of constipation and depression for the experimental group. Auricular acupressure for 2 weeks significantly decreased constipation scores compared to the control group (F=7.74, p<.001). The mean difference in depression scores before and after acupressure in the experimental group (2.90±2.86) was larger than the difference in the control group (1.35±3.12), but it was not statistically significant (t=-1.64, p=.055). Auricular acupressure was effective in relieving constipation in shift-work nurses. Auricular acupressure could be considered as a treatment option for constipation.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.436-446
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• 2016

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the effect of auricular acupressure on pruritus and fatigue in hemodialysis patients. Methods: The study design was a randomized control group pre-post test. Initially, forty-four patients were randomly assigned to one of two groups. There was a loss of three participants assigned to the treatment group. The period of data collection was from December 2014 to March 2015. Both groups completed a pre-test. The treatment group received auricular acupressure once a week for ten weeks. Data were collected from the treatment group at two time periods: five weeks and ten weeks following initiation of the treatment protocol. Data were collected from the control group at week 5 and week 10. Data analysis was performed using IBM SPSS Statistics 21.0 program, specifically with the independent t-test and the Repeated Measures of ANOVA. Results: Auricular acupressure was effective in reducing pruritus (F=13.93, p<.001) and fatigue (F=18.33, p<.001). Conclusion: Auricular acupressure is a non-invasive simple method that can be used for the relief of symptoms reported by hemodialysis patients. This treatment modality could be used in several clinical areas.

• Journal of muscle and joint health
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.133-140
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• 2022

Purpose: This study was to examine the effects of auricular acupressure on competitive state anxiety and the accuracy of breaking in taekwondo players. Methods: This study was a quasi-experimental study with a time-series design. Twenty-two taekwondo breaking players were assigned to the control group for the first two weeks and then assigned to the experimental group for the next two weeks. Anxiety was measured by the revised Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 and the accuracy of breaking was measured as a percentage of breaking the wooden board. Results: Auricular acupressure for two weeks significantly increased the accuracy of breaking from 80.83±7.99% to 90.92±7.57% (t=7.74, p<.001). Auricular acupressure for two weeks significantly increased anxiety from 35.66±10.36 to 50.64±7.45 (t=4.38, p<.001). Among three subtypes of competitive state anxiety, somatic anxiety was increased from 12.48±4.97 to 22.95±4.54 (t=2.09, p=.011). Cognitive anxiety was significantly increased from 10.11±3.96 to 14.68±3.89 (t=5.37, p<.001) but self-confidence was not changed. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that auricular acupressure was effective in increasing the accuracy of breaking in taekwondo players.

• Journal of East-West Nursing Research
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.91-102
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• 2019

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of auricular acupressure on postpartum depression and fatigue among early postpartum mothers. Methods: A non-equivalent control group pretest-posttest design was used. Forty early postpartum mothers were recruited from two postpartum care centers and randomly assigned to experimental group (n=20) and control group (n=20). The experimental group received the nursing intervention of auricular acupressure. Results: There were significant differences in postpartum depression and fatigue between the two groups. The participants in the experimental group showed significantly decreased scores of postpartum depression (z=-2.51, p=.012) and fatigue (t=5.36, p<.001). Conclusion: The nursing intervention programs using the auricular acupressure is effective in reducing depression and fatigue of early postpartum mothers. The findings will be useful for the health promotion among early postpartum mothers.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.28-34
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• 2007

Purpose: This study was to examine the effects of auricular acupressure therapy on smoking cessation for female university students. Method. The research design was a nonequivalent control group nonsynchronized design. Subjects were 60 (Experimental: 30, Control: 30) smoking female university students. The measuring tools were the number of cigarettes smoked per day, dependency on nicotine, and need for smoking. Auricular acupressure therapy, an experimental treatment, was applied 3 times a day, 2 days a week, for 2 weeks. Data was collected from March 2006 to October 2006. Data was analyzed using the SPSS PC+ 12 version. Descriptive statistics, independent t-test, $x^2$-test, and Fisher's exact test were used for each aim of this study. Result: The number of cigarettes smoked per day (t=8.63, p=.00), dependency on nicotine (t=18.15, p=.00), and need for smoking (t=14.23, p=.00) significantly decreased in the experimental group by application of auricular acupressure therapy. Conclusion: Auricular acupressure therapy can be a better effective primary nursing intervention on smoking cessation for female university students shown through studies of repetition.