Effect of foot massage on postpartum blues and fatigue level among pregnant women

Mirfat Mohamed Labib Elkashif; Eman Galal Mohamed Kahlil; Hanan Hassan Elezaby; Amel Ahmed Elsayed; Shaimaa Hashem Elsalous

doi:10.53730/ijhs.v6nS9.14960

Authors

Mirfat Mohamed Labib Elkashif Department of Maternity, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Port Said University, Faculty of Nursing, Port Said, Egypt
Eman Galal Mohamed Kahlil Lecturer of Police Authority Institute of Nursing, Lecturer of Obstetrics Nursing
Hanan Hassan Elezaby Assistant Professor of Family and Community Health Nursing Department, Faculty of Nursing, Port Said University, Egypt
Amel Ahmed Elsayed Assistant professor of Community Health Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Mansoura University
Shaimaa Hashem Elsalous Maternity and Newborn Health Nursing Department, Faculty of Nursing, Helwan University

Keywords:

Foot massage, Fatigue level, Pregnant women, Postpartum blues

Abstract

Background: Those with a diagnosis of postpartum blues are more likely to experience postpartum psychosis or depression. Foot massage appears effective, affordable, low-risk, adaptable, and simple. Aim: To evaluate the effect of foot massage on postpartum blues and fatigue levels among pregnant women. Subjects and Methods: Design: This study was carried out using a quasi-experimental design. Setting: The study was conducted in the Antenatal Outpatient Clinic at Beni-Seuf University Hospital, Egypt. Subject: A purposive sampling technique was employed to choose a sample of 100 pregnant women who were then randomly assigned into two groups, with 50 pregnant women in each group (the intervention and control groups). Tools: Two tools were used (I) a structured interview questionnaire and (II) a fatigue assessment scale. Results: The current study revealed that there were highly statistically significant differences regarding the scores of fatigue in the intervention group as compared to the control group ( P= <0.05). a statistically significant difference between the groups was reported about postpartum blues levels after foot massage intervention. Conclusion: Foot massage was useful in reducing postpartum blues and fatigue levels among pregnant women.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Abbaspoor, Z., Akbari, M., & Najar, S. (2019). Effect of foot and hand massage in post-cesarean section pain control: a randomized control trial. fatigue and Pain Management Nursing : Official Journal of the American Society of Pain Management Nurses, 15(1), 132–136. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PMN.2012.07.008

Babu, J., & Annal, A. M. (2019). Effectiveness of Hand Massage vs Foot Massage for Pain in Incision Site among Post-cesarean Mothers Admitted in Obstetrical Care Units at Mahatma Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute, Puducherry. Pondicherry Journal of Nursing. https://doi.org/10.5005/jp-journals-10084-12124

Botting, A. (2018). Review of literature on the effectiveness of reflexology, Compl. Ther. Nurs. Midwifery 3 (5) 123–130, https://doi.org/10.1016/s1353-6117 (97)80012-1.

Boyd, C., Crawford, C., Paat, C. F., Price, A., Xenakis, L., Zhang, W., Buckenmaier, C., Buckenmaier, P., Cambron, J., Deery, C., Schwartz, J., Werner, R., & Whitridge, P. (2016). The Impact of Massage Therapy on Function in Pain Populations—A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials: Part II, Cancer Pain Populations. Pain Medicine: The Official Journal of the American Academy of Pain Medicine, 17(8), 1553. https://doi.org/10.1093/PM/PNW100

Degirmen, N., Ozerdogan, N., Sayiner, D., Kosgeroglu, N., & Ayranci, U. (2020). Effectiveness of foot and hand massage in postcesarean pain control in a group of Turkish pregnant women. Applied Nursing Research, 23(3), 153–158. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.APNR.2008.08.001

Degner, D. (2017). Differentiating between "baby blues," severe depression, and psychosis. BMJ. Nov 10;359:j4692. [PubMed]

De Kleijn, W. P. E., De Vries, J., Wijnen, P. A. H. M., & Drent, M. (2011). Minimal (clinically) important differences for the Fatigue Assessment Scale in sarcoidosis. Respiratory Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rmed.2011.05.004

Doornbos, B., Fekkes, D., Tanke, M., de Jonge, P., & Korf, J. (2018). Sequential serotonin and noradrenalin associated processes involved in postpartum blues. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry. Jul 01; 32(5):1320-5.

Erkek, S., & Aktas, A. (2018). The effect of foot reflexology on the anxiety levels of women in labor, J. Alternative Compl. Med. 24 (4) 352–360, https://doi.org/ 10.1089/acm.2017.0263.

Ghaffari, F., & Ghaznein, T. (2020). The reflexology of sole on tiredness intensity in pregnant women. Caspian Journal of Internal Medicine.; 1:58-62.

Hosseini Nasab, S., Taghavi, S., & Ahmadian S. (202). The effectiveness of prenatal education in decreasing childbirth pain and Fatigue. Medical Journal of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences; 31(4):24-30.

Huang, K.H. Chen, S.F. Kuo, I.H. Chen, Can foot reflexology be a complementary therapy for sleep disturbances? Evidence appraisal through a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials, J. Adv. Nurs. 77 (4) (2021) 1683–1697, https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.14699. X. Liang et al. Heliyon 9 (2023) e18442 16

International Institute of Reflexology, Reflexology Facts USA, 2022. Accessed July 29, 2022, https://www.reflexology-usa.net/facts.htm.

Jang, K., & Kim, Effects of self-foot reflexology on stress, fatigue, and blood circulation in premenopausal middle-aged women, J. Korean Acad. Nurs. 39 (5) (2019) 662–672, doi:10/dm39rt.

Jabbari, Z., Hashemi, H., & Haghayegh, S. (2019). Survey on the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral stress management on the stress, anxiety, and depression of pregnant women. Health System Research; 8(7):1341-47.

Jin, S. J., & Kim, Y. K. (2017). The effects of foot reflexology massage on sleep and fatigue of elderly women. Journal of Korean Academy of Adult Nursing, 17, 493-502.

Kotani, N., Hashimoto, H., Sato, Y., Sessler, D. I., Yoshioka, H., Kitayama, M., Yasuda, T., & Matsuki, A. (2021). Preoperative intradermal acupuncture reduces postoperative pain, nausea and vomiting, analgesic requirement, and sympathoadrenal responses. Anesthesiology, 95(2), 349–356. https://doi.org/10.1097/00000542-200108000-00015

Massage - Physiopedia. (n.d.). Retrieved November 7, (2021), from https://www.physio-pedia.com/Massage

Nasiri, F., Ranjkesh, M., Mafi, M., Senmar, S.., & Hosseinigolafshani, A. (2019). The effect of foot reflexology on sleep quality among high-risk pregnant women: a randomized controlled trial, Sleep Hypn, https://doi.org/10.37133/Sleep.Hypn.2019.21.0198.

Navaee,, S., Khayat, Z.G., & Abed, S. (2019). Effect of pre-cesarean foot reflexology massage on the anxiety of primiparous women, J. Compl. Integr. Med. 17 (3), 20190229, https://doi.org/10.1515/jcim-2019-0229.

Oleson, W. & Flocco, A. (2019). Randomized controlled study of premenstrual symptoms treated with ear, hand, and foot reflexology, Obstet. Gynecol. 82 (6) 906–911.

Salme, D., Hobrani, P., Parvin, A., Salari P, Banafshe E. (2018). Fatigue in pregnancy associated with postpartum blues. Journal of Woman; 14:07-15.

Salvo, S.G. (2019): Massage therapy: Principles and Practice, Elsevier Health Sciences.

Sehhatti, C. Hughes, M. Mirghafourvand, Z. & Anjoman Azari, A. (2020). The effect of short-term foot reflexology in improving constipation symptoms during pregnancy: a TwoArmed, randomized controlled trial, Int. J. Womens Health Reprod. Sci. 8 (3) 303–310, https://doi.org/10.15296/ijwhr.2020.49.

Semra, ˙ I. Incedal. (2020). The effect of reflexology on labor pain, anxiety, labor duration, and birth satisfaction in primiparous pregnant women: a randomized controlled trial, Health Care Women Int. 42 (4–6) 710–725, https://doi.org/10.1080/07399332.2020.1800014.

Shobeiri, F., Tehranian, N., Nazari, M. (2018). Trend of ectopic pregnancy and its main determinants in Hamadan province, Iran (2000-2010). BMC research notes; 7(1):733-37.

Shobeiri, A. (2017). Effects of counseling and sole reflexology on fatigue in pregnant women: a randomized clinical trial, J. Clin. Diagn. Res., https://doi.org/ 10.7860/jcdr/2017/22681.9972.

Steel, J., Adams, D., Sibbritt, A., Broom, J., Frawley, C., & Gallois, A. (2019). The influence of complementary and alternative medicine use in pregnancy on labor pain management choices: results from a nationally representative sample of 1,835 women, J. Alternative Compl. Med. 20 (2) 87–97, https://doi.org/ 10.1089/acm.0171.

Wang, M. J., Kim, J. A., Lee, J. O., Lee, A. H., Lee, C. H., Cha, N. (2019). Foot care for health promotion. Seoul: Hyunmoonsa

Yaqi, J., Nan, C., & Ying, A. (2020). Foot reflexology in the management of functional constipation: a systematic review and meta-analysis, Compl. Ther. Clin. Pract. 40 101198, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctcp.2020.101198.

Zhang, D., Cao, J., Sun, D., Shao, Y., Sun, F., Cao, S. (2021). Sleep heterogeneity in the third trimester of pregnancy: correlations with depression, memory impairment, and fatigue, Psychiatr. Res. 303, 114075, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2021.114075.