THE COMPARISON BETWEEN EFFECTIVENESS OF TWO RELAXATION TECHNIQUES IN REDUCING SIDE EFFECTS OF CHEMOTHERAPY IN JAPANESE PATIENTS

1998 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

• Project/Area Number: 09672408
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Nursing
• Research Institution: FUKUSHIMA MEDICAL UNIVERSITY
• Principal Investigator: ARAKAWA Shoko FUKUSHIMA MEDICAL UNIVERSITY, SCHOOL OF NURSING, PROFESSOR, 看護学部, 教授 (30291561)
• Project Period (FY): 1997 – 1998
• Keywords: CHEMOTHERAPY / SIDE EFFECTS / RELAXATION / PROGRESSIVE MUSCLE RELAXATION / GUIDED IMAGERY

Research Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) and guided imagery (GI) in reducing side effects induced by chemotherapy, and to compare between the effects of two relaxation techniques. The pretest-posttest control group design was used. The subjects consisted of 60 cancer chemotherapy patients who were hospitalized in a university hospital and a cancer center. These subjects were assigned to either the PMR or GI, or the control group. The subjects in the experimental group received progressive muscle relaxation training or guided imagery training, while the subjects in the control group received routine nursing care and contact with the investigator. Two instruments were used to collect quantitative data: a Japanese version of the Rhodes Index of Nausea and Vomiting (INV)-Form 2 and the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). All subjects were pre-tested 3-7 days before their chemotherapy and post-tested 2 hours before the initiation of chemotherapy. Subsequently, nausea and vomiting were measured every 12 hours for 2 days after the initiation of chemotherapy.
Four proposed hypotheses were tested by employing the repeated measures analysis of variance and t-test. Two hypotheses were related to nausea, vomiting, and anxiety, and the other hypotheses dealt with relaxation techniques. The results derived from this study showed that PMR and GI techniques reduced nausea and vomiting (INV) scores, but not anxiety (STAI) scores, and that there was no difference between the effectiveness of the PMR and GI techniques.