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Monday, June 23, 2008
Petree C (LA Convention Center)
For centuries, the laying-on of hands to promote healing, prevent illness or offer comfort has sometimes been the only form of care available (Wilkowski, 2001). Massage may offer such sensory benefits. Why not translate these benefits to patients, especially those patients at high risk for stress, such as an antepartum patient?
This descriptive study is prospectively designed to address the following research question: What effect does massage have on the level of anxiety in an antepartum inpatient client? Understanding anxiety involves not only a current state measurement but also a causation measurement. Additionally, objective measures of an individual patient’s anxiety level are gathered. These objective measures include blood pressure, pulse, respirations, fetal heart rate, uterine contraction frequency and fetal movement.
Prior to receiving a massage, informed consent is obtained. Additionally, one hour before the massage, study participants complete the Antepartum Hospital Stressors Inventory (AHSI). The Visual Analog Scale (VASA), the six item Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and objective data is obtained one hour pre and one hour post massage. The convenience sample of antenatal patients experiencing their first massage has an n = 30.
The answers to ‘why anxiety’ are found in the analysis of the AHSI tool. Consistent with the findings in other studies, this patient population reports similar causes or themes, related to anxiety. Internal consistency is reliable at a=.986. Timed subjective and objective anxiety measures are obtained pre and post massage. The total score for the STAI pre massage is 13.7 compared to the post massage total score of 9.9. This finding is statistically significant to p<.0001. The VASA analysis indicates a mean level of anxiety pre massage as 55.3, whereas the post massage level is 32.3. This mean difference is statistically significant to p<.0001.
Subjective markers for anxiety are helpful, yet scientifically and clinically speaking, do those markers reflect changes in the clinical parameters for our patients? Objective measures of anxiety are obtained pre and post massage. These measures include maternal pulse, respirations, blood pressure, fetal heart rate, contraction frequency and fetal movement. Maternal pulse (mean -4.1, p<.0001) and diastolic blood pressure (-4.9, p<.0070) are often thought of as primary physiologic markers for anxiety. All other markers decreased as well but not to the point of statistical significance.
Clearly, there is statistically and clinically significant differences between anxiety measures pre and post massage. Collectively through subjective and objective anxiety markers gathered, it can be said that in this study massage does affect the level of anxiety in the hospitalized antepartum patient. However there is little in the literature, particularly in antepartum populations, to offer broad implications. More research needs to be done to further investigate the effect of massage on levels of anxiety.
This descriptive study is prospectively designed to address the following research question: What effect does massage have on the level of anxiety in an antepartum inpatient client? Understanding anxiety involves not only a current state measurement but also a causation measurement. Additionally, objective measures of an individual patient’s anxiety level are gathered. These objective measures include blood pressure, pulse, respirations, fetal heart rate, uterine contraction frequency and fetal movement.
Prior to receiving a massage, informed consent is obtained. Additionally, one hour before the massage, study participants complete the Antepartum Hospital Stressors Inventory (AHSI). The Visual Analog Scale (VASA), the six item Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and objective data is obtained one hour pre and one hour post massage. The convenience sample of antenatal patients experiencing their first massage has an n = 30.
The answers to ‘why anxiety’ are found in the analysis of the AHSI tool. Consistent with the findings in other studies, this patient population reports similar causes or themes, related to anxiety. Internal consistency is reliable at a=.986. Timed subjective and objective anxiety measures are obtained pre and post massage. The total score for the STAI pre massage is 13.7 compared to the post massage total score of 9.9. This finding is statistically significant to p<.0001. The VASA analysis indicates a mean level of anxiety pre massage as 55.3, whereas the post massage level is 32.3. This mean difference is statistically significant to p<.0001.
Subjective markers for anxiety are helpful, yet scientifically and clinically speaking, do those markers reflect changes in the clinical parameters for our patients? Objective measures of anxiety are obtained pre and post massage. These measures include maternal pulse, respirations, blood pressure, fetal heart rate, contraction frequency and fetal movement. Maternal pulse (mean -4.1, p<.0001) and diastolic blood pressure (-4.9, p<.0070) are often thought of as primary physiologic markers for anxiety. All other markers decreased as well but not to the point of statistical significance.
Clearly, there is statistically and clinically significant differences between anxiety measures pre and post massage. Collectively through subjective and objective anxiety markers gathered, it can be said that in this study massage does affect the level of anxiety in the hospitalized antepartum patient. However there is little in the literature, particularly in antepartum populations, to offer broad implications. More research needs to be done to further investigate the effect of massage on levels of anxiety.
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