The Analysis of Research about Foot Reflexology in Nursing

발반사마사지에 관한 간호학 논문 분석

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.