• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
• /
• v.34 no.5
• /
• pp.739-750
• /
• 2004

Purpose: This study was to evaluate the effects of foot reflexology on blood pressure, serum lipids level and life satisfaction in essential hypertension patients. Method: The research design used was a nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design. Foot Reflexology was used as the experimental treatment from June 23rd, 2003 until August 31st, 2003. Thirty-four subjects were assigned to an experimental group(18) and control group(16). Foot Reflexology was administered twice a week for 6 weeks and self foot Reflexology was administered twice a week for 4 weeks on the experimental group. Result: There was a significant decrease in systolic blood pressure but no significant decrease indiastolic pressure in the experimental group compared to the control group. The total cholesterol level in the experimental group compared to the control group was not significantly decreased after foot reflexology. However, the triglyceride level in theexperimental group compared to the control group was significantly decreased after foot reflexology. On the other hand, high density lipoprotein and low density lipoprotein levels in the experimental group compared to the control group was not significantly decreased after foot reflexology. Life satisfaction in the experimental group compared to the control group was significantly improved after foot reflexology. Conclusion: The results proved that foot reflexology was an effective nursing intervention to decrease systolic pressure, and triglyceride but not for the blood cholesterol and to improve life satisfaction. Therefore, blood cholesterol should be further evaluated in a larger group of subjects and for a longer period. Further research is regarded as necessary to evaluate and to compareeffects of self-foot reflexology and foot reflexology.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
• /
• v.10 no.1
• /
• pp.33-40
• /
• 2008

Purpose: This study was performed to analyze the trend of foot reflexology research in nursing in Korea. Method: Of studies published in nursing literature between January 1990 and August 2007. The 74 articles were analyzed according to the published year and journal, type of research and study design, subject, and the outcome variables of interventions. Result: Prevailing research designs were experimental research (nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design). Prevailing characteristics of subjects were patients with hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hemodialysis, cancer and others disease (osteoarthritis, cerebral vascular accident, pneumoconiosis). The most frequently performed intervention was Foot-Reflexo-Massage (FRM). The most frequently used outcome variables were fatigue and sleep. The effect of foot reflexology was inconclusive. Conclusion: The finding suggests that a robust research design in foot reflexology research is needed to accumulate a strong scientific evidence and to adopt nursing intervention from the foot reflexology modalities. Meta analysis of foot reflexology research should be done to analyze and integrate the results of various studies.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing
• /
• v.13 no.2
• /
• pp.225-234
• /
• 2006

Purpose: This study was done to investigate the effect of self-foot reflexology on peripheral blood circulation, peripheral neuropathy and to determine the feasibility of self-foot reflexology as a nursing intervention. Method: This was nonequivalent control pretest-posttest study with 76 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (ages between 40-79) recruited from public health centers in Busan city. Intervention was a 6 week self-foot reflexology, and outcome variables were peripheral blood circulation and peripheral neuropathy(tactile response to monofilament, intensity of symptoms of peripheral neuropathy). ANCOVA was used to do the statistical analysis. A.05 significance level was set for evaluating the effects of self-foot reflexology. Results: The self-foot reflexology was relatively effective not only in reducing peripheral neuropathy(especially tingling sensation and pain) but also in improving ability to sense the 10-g force monofilament. Conclusion: Even though self-foot reflexology was not effective in improving peripheral circulation, it had good effect on improving peripheral neuropathy. Therefore self-foot reflexology can be used as a nursing intervention program for promoting foot care for patients with DM patients.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing
• /
• v.11 no.2
• /
• pp.138-147
• /
• 2004

Purpose: This study was done to evaluate the effects of foot reflexology on blood pressure, serum lipids, fatigue and self-efficacy in patients with hypertension. Methods: The research was done between June 23 and July 31, 2003 and the design was an experimental treatment design. The thirty-four participants were assigned to either an experimental group (18) or a control group (16), Foot reflexology was administered twice a week for 6 weeks to participants in the experimental group. Results: There was a significant decrease in systolic blood pressure and diastolic pressure in the experimental group compared to the control group. After the foot reflexology, total cholesterol and triglyceride levels for the experimental group did not decrease significantly compared to the control group. High density lipoprotein find low density lipoprotein levels also did not decrease significantly after foot reflexology Fatigue in the experimental group decreased significantly after foot reflexology. Self-efficacy in the experimental group did not decrease significantly after foot reflexology. Conclusion: The results show that foot reflexology is an effective nursing: intervention to decrease systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure and to treat fatigue but not serum lipids. Therefore, blood cholesterol should be further evaluated with a larger group of participants and for a longer period. Further research is necessary to evaluate and to compare effects of self-foot reflexology and foot reflexology.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing
• /
• v.9 no.1
• /
• pp.16-26
• /
• 2002

Purpose: This study was done to investigate the effect of foot reflexology on vital signs, general fatigue, mood and foot fatigue in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. Method: Data were collected from a convenience sample of 11 patients who were admitted at S and E University Hospital. Changes in systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure(DBP), pulse rate(PR), general fatigue, mood status, and foot fatigue between pre and post foot reflexology were analyzed using Wilcoxon signed rank test and Friedman test at 0.05 level of significance. Results: There were significant differences in the SBP(p= .009), DBP(p=.014), PR(p=.015), general fatigue (p=.015) mood status(p=.007), and foot fatigue(p= .007) between pre and post foot reflexology. Conclusion: Foot reflexology can improve vital signs, general/foot fatigue and mood status, therefore we recommend to use foot reflexology as an effective nursing intervention in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy.

• Journal of Fisheries and Marine Sciences Education
• /
• v.29 no.2
• /
• pp.386-395
• /
• 2017

The purpose of this study was performed to investigate the effects of self-foot reflexology on the stress, fatigue and sleep pattern of the nursing students. The research design was non-equivalent control group pretest and posttest design. The data were collected from January 18 to April 15, 2016. The participants were 68 nursing students. The instruments used for the study were the stress, fatigue, and sleep pattern. The data were analyzed by using SPSS 21.0 program. In order to compare the effect of the pre-post self foot reflexology, t-test was employed. There was significant differences in stress after providing self foot reflexology. but There was not significant differences in fatigue and sleep pattern after providing self foot reflexology. In conclusion, These findings suggest that self foot reflexology could be utilized as an effective nursing intervention to reduce stress.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
• /
• v.41 no.6
• /
• pp.821-833
• /
• 2011

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of foot reflexology on fatigue, sleep and pain. Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted. Electronic database and manual searches were conducted on all published studies reporting the effects of foot reflexology on fatigue, sleep, and pain. Forty four studies were eligible including 15 studies associated with fatigue, 18 with sleep, and 11 with pain. The effects of foot reflexology were analyzed using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis Version 2.0. The homogeneity and the fail-safe N were calculated. Moreover, a funnel plot was used to assess publication bias. Results: The effects on fatigue, sleep, and pain were not homogeneous and ranged from 0.63 to 5.29, 0.01 to 3.22, and 0.43 to 2.67, respectively. The weighted averages for fatigue, sleep, and pain were 1.43, 1.19, and 1.35, respectively. No publication bias was detected as evaluated by fail-safe N. Foot reflexology had a larger effect on fatigue and sleep and a smaller effect on pain. Conclusion: This meta-analysis indicates that foot reflexology is a useful nursing intervention to relieve fatigue and to promote sleep. Further studies are needed to evaluate the effects of foot reflexology on outcome variables other than fatigue, sleep and pain.

• Women's Health Nursing
• /
• v.8 no.2
• /
• pp.212-221
• /
• 2002

The purpose of this study was to identify the effect of foot reflexology on premenstrual syndrome and dysmenorrhea in female college students. The research design of this study was a quasi-experimental design. Of the forty female college students, twenty were assigned to the experimental group and, twenty to the control group. The data were obtained over 2 months(November 26, 2001 to January 31, 2002) from a nursing of C college located in S city. The instrument used to assess premenstrual syndrome and dysmenorrhea was Keele's VAS(Visual Analogue Scale) and opening records. Subjects in the experimental group received foot reflexology for 6 times with 1 hours during 60 days, and subjects assigned to the control group did not receive foot reflexology. Data were analysed with percentage, mean, standard deviation, $x^2$-test, unpaired t-test, and repeated measure ANOVA, using SAS Program. The results of the study are as follow, 1.The symptoms which the group of experimental and the group of control discomforts the most are sensitiveness(35%), abdominal pain (30%),lower abdominal pain (30%) and lumbago (20%). The method of relieve premenstrual syndrome and dysmenorrhea by which the subjects employ the most to solve their premenstrual syndrome and dysmenorrhea is the getting along by enduring(67.5%) and bed rest (32.5%). 2.The mean score of the premenstrual syndromes and dysmenorrhea before foot reflexology was 8.35, it was 4.16 at the first menstruation after foot reflexology and 3.25 at the second menstruation for the experimental group. 3.The relieved symptoms after foot reflexology was fatigue(50%), insomnia(40%), abdominal pain(35%), lower abdominal pain (30%) and constipation(30%). Foot reflexology was effective in improve the symptoms of the female college students who have the premenstrual syndrome and dysmenorrhea.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
• /
• v.17 no.3
• /
• pp.493-502
• /
• 2005

Purpose: To investigate the effects of foot reflexology massage on sleep and fatigue of elderly women. Method: The study was performed from April thru July of 2004 on the nonequivalent control group non-synchronized quasi-experimental design. Fifty elderly women were selected for each group. The foot reflexology massage was performed for 45 minutes every three days for experimental group. The data were analyzed using the Cronbach's $\alpha$, Chi-Square test, t-test and Repeated measures ANOVA and Bonferroni. Result: 1. The sleep score of the experiment group is significantly higher than that of the control group(t=-5.944, p=.000). 2. For the experiment group, it is seen that the sleep score increases as the frequency of the foot reflexology massage increases(F=96.362, p=.000). 3. The fatigue score of the experiment group is significantly lower than that of the control group(t=4.356, p=.000). 4. For the experiment group, the fatigue is relieved gradually as the frequency of the foot reflexology massage increases(F=118.444, p=.000). Conclusion: Based on the results described above, it is considered that the foot reflexology massage is effective for elderly women in promoting a good sleep and relieving the fatigue.

• The Korean Journal of Rehabilitation Nursing
• /
• v.9 no.1
• /
• pp.25-33
• /
• 2006

Purpose: This study was to examine the effects of foot reflexology on pain and depression of middle-aged women with Osteoarthritis Method: The subjects were 41 osteoarthritis patients resided in the Jinju city from March to May, 2005. The foot reflexology was applied to the experimental group 3 times a week for 4 weeks, 30 minutes eachs. For the data analysis, $X^2$-test was conducted to verify the homogeneity of general characteristics, and t-test was done to verify the homogeneity of pain and depression. To examine the relative efficacy of the intervention, t-test, paired t-test and repeated measures ANOVA were conducted. Results: After foot reflexology, the subjects in experimental group showed significant improvement in pain (F=155.77, p=.000) and depression ((F=20.00, p=.000). Conclusion: The results suggest that the foot reflexology is effective in relieving of pain and depression. Therefore, it is necessary to develop foot reflexology as an independent nursing intervention.