A Comparative Study Of The Symptoms Between The Middle Aged Women Who Take Foot Reflexzone Massage And The Middle-Aged Women Who Do Not

발반사 마사지를 받는 중년여성과 일반중년여성간의 증상 비교에 관한 연구

This is a comparative descriptive study conducted for 178 middle-aged women who were residing in Seoul and aged between 41 to 64 (95 in control group, and 83 in experimental group). The study was aimed to examine their climacteric symptoms, degree of fatigue, depression, anxiety and quality of sleep and to examine the differences on the symptoms between the two groups. Data were collected from April 1 to May 15, 2002 through self-statement using structured questionnaires. The collected data were verified with descriptive statistics, ? -test, t-test, ANOVA using SPSS/PC(+). The results are as follows. 1) The average scores of the climacteric symptoms were 1.56 .36 for the control group, and 1.55 .33 for the group taking relexzone massage, showing no significant difference between the groups (t=.15, p=.88). 2) The average scores of the degree of fatigue were 2.17 .65 for the control group, and 2.40 .66 for the group taking relexzone massage, showing a significant difference between the groups. (t=-2.31, p=.02) 3) The average scores of depression were 1.91 .50 for the control group, and 2.05 .42 for the group taking relexzone massage, showing a significant difference between the groups (t=-1.99, p=.05). 4) The average scores of anxiety were 1.54 .60 for the control group, and 1.57 .53 for the group taking relexzone massage, showing no significant difference between the groups (t=-.33, p=.74). 5) The average scores of quality of sleep were 2.97 .49 for the control group, and 2.98 .42 for the group taking relexzone massage, showing no significant difference between the groups(t=-.08, p=.93). Based on these results, the middle-aged women who take relexzone massage are considered to have less fatigue and depression than those who do not. As physiological regression progresses and the structure and role in the family are restructured, middle-aged women are like to experience various climacteric symptoms. As a nursing intervention, relexzone massage can be applied to middle-aged women to reduce their stress, climacteric symptoms and emotional anxiety, ultimately promoting their health. In order to implement relexzone massage as a nursing intervention, further testing on the psycho-neuroimmunologjcal effects of relexzone massage is necessary.