title: [Effects of self-foot reflexology on stress, fatigue and blood circulation in premenopausal middle-aged women].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was to examine the effects of self-foot reflexology on stress, fatigue and blood circulation in premenopausal middle-aged women.
  
  
  METHODS
  A quasi-experimental nonequivalent control group, pretest-posttest design was used. Participants were 59 premenopausal, middle-aged women in their 40s and 60s living in G city: 30 in the experiment group and 29 in the control group. Data were collected from May to August 2008. Self-foot reflexology was performed three times a week for 6 weeks for 40 min at each session.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results showed that self-foot reflexology was effective in reducing perceived stress and fatigue and helped blood circulation in premenopausal middle-aged women.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Self-foot reflexology may be an effective nursing intervention in reducing perceived stress and fatigue and in improving blood circulation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Songwon College, Korea.
authors.forename: Soo Hyun
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.forename: Kye Ha
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D003710:Demography; D005221:Fatigue / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005528:Foot; D006801:Humans; D008405:Massage / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D017697:Premenopause / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000628:therapy*