足浴，足部マッサージ，足浴後マッサージによるリラクゼーション反応の比較

A Comparison of the Effect of Nursing Care Using Footbath, Foot Massage and Foot Massage Combined with Footbath for Relaxation

要旨

　研究の目的は，足浴，足部マッサージ，足浴後マッサージ，ケアをしない（コントロール）を行い，これらによるリラクゼーション反応を調べることである．前期高齢者10名（72.0±2.2歳）を対象にして，生理学的指標として心拍数，下肢皮膚温を持続測定し，主観的評価として心地よさの程度をケア前、ケア直後、ケア後120分に測定した．データの分析は，一元配置分散分析，Tukeyの多重比較，Friedman検定を行った．

　その結果，ケア直後の心拍数において，足部マッサージはコントロールと比較して，有意に減少した（p＜0.01）．ケア直後の下肢皮膚温において，いずれのケアもコントロールと比較して，有意に上昇した（足浴：p＜0.05；足部マッサージ・足浴後マッサージ：p＜0.01）．足浴後マッサージはケア後30分まで，コントロールと有意な差が持続した（p＜0.05）．いずれのケアも心拍数の減少，下肢皮膚温の上昇というリラクゼーション反応が認められた．足浴後マッサージは，他のケアと比較して最も主観的評価が高かった．

　足浴，マッサージおよび足浴後マッサージの看護への適用について，各々のケアによるリラクゼーション反応に相違が認められたが，いずれのケアも，心身の安楽，下肢保温，入眠促進のために適用できると考えられた．

Abstract

　The purpose of this study was to investigate the relaxation response of subjects to footbath, foot massage, and foot massage combined with footbath compared with that of control.

　Ten subjects (mean age 72.0, SD 2.2), physiological data (heart rate and foot skin temperature) were continuously measured and subjective comfort data were obtained before care, immediately after care, and 120m after care. The comparisons were performed with one way ANOVA, Tukey's test and the Friedman test.

　Immediately after care, foot massage resulted in a significant decrease in heart rate in comparison with control (p＜0.01). As for skin temperature immediately after care, all forms of care produced significant increases in comparison with control (footbath: p＜0.05; foot massage and foot massage combined with footbath: p＜0.01). Foot temperature following foot massage combined with footbath was significantly higher than that of control up to 30m after care. The results suggest that these forms of care generate the relaxation response as shown by the decrease in heart rate and the increase in foot skin temperature. Foot massage combined with footbath provided the greatest subjective comfort.

　Although there were some differences in the relaxation response achieved with these three forms of care, our findings suggest that all of them, contribute to psychological and physiological well-being by generating and retaining warmth in the feet and legs, and promoting the onset of sleep.