아로마테라피 족욕이 스트레스와 자율신경계 활성도에 미치는 효과

Background: A quasi-experimental study with non-equivalent control groups was performed to determinean effect of aromatherapy foot bath on stress and autonomic nervous activity. Methods: To confirm the effect of aromatherapy foot bath, aromatherapy foot bath group was askedto have a bathing by dropping 0.5 cc in 18 L water after blending with a ratio of 6:3:1 with essentialoil lavender, lemon, and tea tree and a foot bath group was asked for bathing only by water. Results: Aromatherapy foot bath group showed significant decrease in subjective stress score(t=3.465, p=0.001) and stress index (t=3.021, p=0.004) in addition to simultaneous increase insympathetic nervous activity (t=−2.913, p=0.005). However, no significant stimulation of parasympatheticnervous system was observed (t=−1.831, p=0.072). Conclusions: As aromatherapy foot bath is a possible effective intervention for stress relief, it can beapplied as an effective method to relieve the stress for healthy adults and patients.