title: [Effects of self-foot reflexology on stress, fatigue, skin temperature and immune response in female undergraduate students].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of self-foot reflexology on stress (perceived stress, urine cortisol level, and serum cortisol level), fatigue, skin temperature and immune response in female undergraduate students.
  
  
  METHODS
  The research design was a nonequivalent control group pretest-post test design. Participants were 60 university students: 30 in the experiment group and 30 in the control group. The period of this study was from April to June 2010. The program was performed for 1 hr a session, three times a week for 6 weeks. The data were analyzed using the SPSS/WIN 17.0 program.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results showed that self-foot reflexology was effective in reducing perceived stress and fatigue, and raised skin temperature in female undergraduate students. But cortisol levels and immune response were not statistically significant different.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study indicate that self-foot reflexology is an effective nursing intervention in reducing perceived stress and fatigue and, in improving skin temperature. Therefore, it is recommended that this be used in clinical practice as an effective nursing intervention for in female undergraduate students.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Kangwon National University, Samcheok 2nd Campus, Samcheok, Korea. ymlee@kangwon.ac.kr
authors.forename: Young-Mee
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D003710:Demography; D005221:Fatigue / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005528:Foot; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008405:Massage / Q000379:methods*; D012881:Skin Temperature; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000628:therapy*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D006854:Hydrocortisone