The Effect of Aroma Massage on Constipation

Mersin University48 enrolled

Overview

Advancing age arising changes in health status and systems adversely affect the quality of life of the elderly and the elderly face many complex health problems. Constipation is one of the common problems in the elderly. Therefore, The aim of this study is to examine effects of aromatherapy massage on constipation in the elderly.

Old age is a physiological period of life in which various changes take place, meaning that the elderly must be given special consideration as a group with regard to health care. Advancing age arising changes in health status and systems adversely affect the quality of life of the elderly and the elderly face many complex health problems. Constipation is one of the common problems in the elderly. Insufficient liquid intake, insufficient or unsuitable diet, decreased mobility, the side effects of medication, underlying diseases, and rectal sensory-motor dysfunction are among the causes of constipation in the elderly. Constipation is a preventable and treatable problem, which if left untreated can cause physical and associated psychological problems such as back and waist pain, rectal pressure, loss of appetite, confusion, incontinence, nausea and vomiting, urinary dysfunction, fissure, rectal prolapse, hemorrhoids, intestinal obstruction, and syncope. Constipation can be managed using pharmacological methods, such as laxatives, enemas, suppositories, along with nonpharmacological procedures, such as changes in nutritional habits, fluid intake, education, activities to develop healthy intestinal habits, exercise, massage, aroma massage, biofeedback, stress management and acupuncture.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Masking

SINGLE

Enrollment

Conditions

Constipation

Interventions

Aroma massageOTHER

The older adult participants in the experimental group were applied aroma massage through gentle movements with slight pressure for 15 min a day, five days a week for three weeks.

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 65 YearsMax age: 90 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * 65 years and older * Communication and cooperation can be established * Conscious,, agreeing to participate in the research, * Decreasing bowel movements, not able to deactivate for 3 days or more * Living more than two of the complaints related to defecation, who have not undergone intestinal surgery before * Lesion or infection that disrupts skin integrity in the abdominal region, elderly without any problems such as heart disease and dementia Exclusion Criteria: * had language problems * were below 65 years of age and * refused to participate in the study.

Locations (1)

Mersin University

Mersin, Turkey (Türkiye)

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Stool consistency

Small as marble, hard (1 point) Bulky, hard (2 points) Normal (3 points) Soft (4 points) Juicy (5 points) 7-day total value for stool consistency / 7-day total number of stools