LAUSR

This study focused on the effects of aroma foot massage on sleep quality and constipation relief among older adult residents in nursing facilities. This research used a non-equivalent control group and a quasi-experimental design. The participants included 40 older adults aged ≥70 years residing in two nursing facilities in Seoul City. The aroma foot massage nursing intervention consisted of a preparation stage using jojoba carrier (aroma recipe) oil and lavender oil, an aroma foot massage stage, and a finishing stage. Sleep quality scores after the experiment increased by 3.72 at post-test (M = 38.44) compared to pre-test (M = 34.72), which confirmed that sleep quality improved significantly following intervention in the experimental group as compared to the control group (F = 14.45, p = 0.001). Furthermore, the frequency of defecation in the experimental group was significantly higher than that in the control group (Z = −3.93, p < 0.001). Similarly, the constipation assessment scores decreased at post-test significantly by 2.39 in the experimental group as compared to the control group (F = 17.87, p < 0.001). These results confirm that aroma foot massage is an effective nursing intervention for alleviating constipation symptoms and improving sleep quality. Therefore, we recommend that aroma foot massage be used as a complementary intervention in combination with drug-based treatment to improve sleep quality and relieve the constipation symptoms experienced by older adults living in nursing facilities.