Effectiveness of foot massage on chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, fatigue, and quality of life among cancer patients: A non-equivalent control group design
Jenefa Jesu Nesam Kamaraj, Manjula Annamalai, Porkodi ArjunanBACKGROUND:
Cancer remains a major global health issue. Chemotherapy often leads to nausea, vomiting, and fatigue, adversely affecting patients’ quality of life. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of foot massage on chemotherapy-induced side effects such as nausea, vomiting, fatigue, and quality of life.
MATERIALS AND METHODS:
A Non-Equivalent Control Group study was conducted with 100 patients undergoing chemotherapy in oncology ward at a tertiary care hospital. Foot massage was administered to the fifty participants in the study group for 20 minutes each session—prior to, during, and following chemotherapy. The instruments used for data collection were the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC) Antiemesis Tool (MAT), the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy – Fatigue scale, and the McGill quality of life questionnaire (MQOL). The data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical tests and the level of significance was
RESULTS:
Chemotherapy-induced early and delayed vomiting frequency was reduced in the study group compared to the control group, which was statistically significant at
CONCLUSION:
The foot massage had an impact and reduced the level of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting and fatigue and improved the quality of life among the patients who were undergoing chemotherapy.