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By: S. P. Deepa, Raji K., and T. K. Kiruthika.
1.Professor, Department of Nursing, Venkateswara College of Nursing, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
2.Professor, Department of Nursing, K. G. College of Nursing, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India.
3.Professor, Department of Mental Health Nursing, Dhanvantri College of Nursing, Pallakkapalayam, Tamil Nadu, India.
An experimental study with a two-group pretest and posttest design was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of massage therapy on anxiety and physiological parameters among elderly adults residing in Annai Mother Therasa Old Age Home, Coimbatore. The study included 40 participants selected through simple random sampling and assigned equally to experimental and control groups. Data were collected using a Socio-Demographic Data Sheet, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and physiological measures, including pulse rate, respiratory rate, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure. The experimental intervention included back massage techniques, such as effleurage, petrissage, kneading, friction, and frolement, and hand massage techniques, including petrissage, kneading, and friction. Descriptive statistics (frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (t-test, z-test, coefficient of correlation, and chi-square test) were used for data analysis. Results showed that 65% of participants had moderate anxiety, 90% had normal pulse rate, 70% exhibited tachypnea, 60% had systolic prehypertension, and 55% had diastolic hypertension. Massage therapy was effective in reducing anxiety and stabilizing physiological parameters across three consecutive days, with the most significant improvement observed on the third day. The calculated Z value exceeded the tabulated value at the 5% significance level for all physiological parameters, leading to rejection of the null hypothesis. No significant association was found between systolic blood pressure and selected demographic variables in either group. The findings suggest that massage therapy is beneficial in promoting relaxation and physiological stability among the elderly.
Keywords: Massage therapy, anxiety, elderly, physiological parameters, experimental study
Citation:
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