The Effect of Auricular Acupressure Therapy on Anxiety of Cancer Pateint

Kim, Kwuy Bun

Abstract

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study wsa to necessitate auricular acupressure therapy as an independent nursing intervention on cancer paitents by confirming its effectiveness. METHOD: The experimental study was unequivalently controlled pre-post measure study. The subjects were 40 cancer patients who were hospitalized in K medical center in Seoul. The experimental group (20) and the control group (20) were randomly assigned. As measured tools, Spielberger's State-trait Anxiety (1976) measured tool by Kim's transplation (1978). The auricular acupressure therapy was applied to experimental group, and the pre-post measure was performed to both group. The data was analyzed by using SPSS computer program that included descriptive statistics, x2-test, and t-test. RESULT: 1) The experimental group with the auricular acupressure therapy showed lower trait anxiety scores in comparison with the control group (t= 8.036, p=.000). 2) The experimental group which applied the auricular acupressure therapy showed lower state anxiety scores in comparison with the control group (t= 19.616, p=.000). This result showed that cancer patients with the auricular acupressure therapy applied cancer patients decreased state anxiety and trait anxiety. Therefore , effectiveness of the auricular acupressure therapy was confirmed through this study.
CONCLUSION
According to the result, anxiety of cancer pateint should be decreased and controlled by the auricular acupressure therapy as independent nursung intervension. In addition, the auricular acupressure therapy will provide effective independent nursing intervention that will decrease anxiety on patient with other disease and will improve quality of their lives.