Effect of Hand Reflexology on Nicotine Withdrawal Symptoms

Abstract

Effect of Hand Reflexology on Nicotine Withdrawal Symptoms

Sirirat Kanokururote MNS (Nursing)*

Sunida Preechawong PhD (Nursing)**

* Nursing Department, BMA Medical College and Vajira Hospital

** Faculty of Nursing, Chulalongkorn University

Objective: To compare mean nicotine withdrawal symptoms scores of participants receiving conventional smoking cessation program and participants receiving hand reflexology in addition to smoking cessation program.

Study design: Quasi-experimental research with posttest measures design.

Subjects: Sixty personnel of BMA Medical College and Vajira Hospital, who were regular smokers and wanted to quit smoking.

Methods: The participants were equally assigned to have either hand reflexology and smoking cessation program (experimental group-30 cases) or smoking cessation program only (control group-30 cases). Both groups were matched in terms of age, number of cigarettes smoked per day, duration of smoking-free in previous attempts, and level of nicotine addiction. Nicotine withdrawal symptoms were assessed at baseline, on days 1, 2, 3, and 7 after smoking cessation. The Minnesota Withdrawal Scale which has the score of 0-36 was used.

Main outcome measures: nicotine withdrawal symptoms score.

Results: At 1 week, 19 participants were excluded from the study because they re-consumed smoking. The remaining 41 participants were all male: 19 in the experimental and 22 in the control groups. Mean ages were 35.6 + 6.7 years and 38.4 + 9.4 years respectively. Mean scores of nicotine withdrawal symptoms before smoking cessation and on day 1 of the experimental group were not significantly different from that of the control group, 7.95 vs 9.00 and 18.84 vs 21.36, respectively. On days 2, 3, and 7 after cessation, mean scores in the experimental group were significantly lower than those of the control group, 18.16 vs. 21.32, 13.42 vs. 16.64, and 9.47 vs. 11.14, respectively.

Conclusion: Hand reflexology in addition to the smoking cessation program can better relieve nicotine withdrawal symptoms than smoking cessation program alone.

Keywords: nicotine withdrawal symptoms, smoking cessation program, hand reflexology

Vajira Med J 2010 ; 54 : 181-191