아로마 오일을 적용한 발 수기요법이 체성분과 정신적 · 육체적 스트레스에 미치는 효과

Effect of Foot Massage with Aroma Oils on Body Composition and Mental and Physical Stress

This study has attempted to determine the effect of aromatic foot massage on body composition and physical & mental stress among college women in their 20s. The research subjects were divided into the following three groups (7 people for each group): group receiving no treatment (control group), essential oil & carrier oil use group(experimental group ‘A’) and group with carrier oil only (experimental group ‘B’). Foot massage was applied to the experimental groups ‘A’ and ‘B’ for 30 minutes each. The research was conducted once a week from May 10 to June 28, 2012 (8 times in total). According to the research, body weight decreased by 1.71 (P<.000), and skeletal muscle mass decreased by 0.9 (P<.05) with statistical significance in experimental group ‘A.’ In both control group and experimental group ‘B,’ the figures increased or stayed the same on average without statistical significance. Mental stress decreased from 3.2 (pretest mean) to 2.1 (adjusted mean) in experimental group ‘A’ and from 3.12 (pretest meant) to 2.64 (adjusted mean) in experimental group ‘B.’ Physical stress declined from 2.99 (pretest mean) to 2.36 (adjusted mean) in experimental group ‘A’ and from 3.05 (pretest mean) to 2.50 (adjusted mean) in experimental group ‘B.’ Both physical and mental stress decreased in both experimental groups ‘A’ and ‘B.’ Therefore, it appears that foot massage with essential oils is effective in reducing body composition and physical and mental stress among college women in their 20s.