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KMID : 1035420230110030011
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Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
2023 Volume.11 No. 3 p.11 ~ p.23
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Effects of an Aromatherapy Education Program on Stress, Self-efficacy, and Autonomic Nervous System Function of Female College Students Preparing for Employment
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Lee Eun-Joo
Lim Eun-Jin
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Abstract
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Purpose : The stress of job-seeking college students is gradually worsening due to the continuing recession in the job market. Therefore, this study aims to verify whether intervention with an ‘aromatherapy education program,’ which combines theory and practice, has greater effect on stress, self-efficacy, and autonomic nervous system function than simple inhalation of essential oils in female college students preparing for employment.
Methods : A single-blind, randomized controlled trial was conducted once a week for a total of 4 weeks with 29 female college students preparing for employment. Interventions included essential oil inhalation combined with an aromatherapy education program (experimental group(EG), n=14) and essential oil inhalation alone (control group(CG), n=15); measurements were taken before, immediately after, and 2 weeks after completion of the intervention. Evaluations were conducted using the job-seeking stress scale, stress VAS, self-efficacy scale, and a pulse-wave measuring instrument.
Results : There were significant differences between the CG and EG groups with repeated measurements of job-seeking stress (p=.003), cognitive stress (p<.001), and self-efficacy (p<.001). There was a significant interaction between group and time. There were also significant differences between the CG and EG in terms of autonomic nervous system changes stress index(p=.047), total power(p=.029), high frequency(p=.036), and low frequency/high frequency ratio(p=.049). However, there was no significant difference in low frequency between the groups.
Conclusion : The aromatherapy education program was more effective in improving job-seeking stress, cognitive stress, self-efficacy, and autonomic nervous system function than simple essential oil inhalation. For the aromatherapy education program to be useful as a complementary intervention for stress management in job seekers, it will be necessary to gather additional evidence of its efficacy by conducting follow-up studies with diverse participants and expanding the numbers, and durations, of the interventions.
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KEYWORD
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aromatherapy education program, autonomic nervous system, cognitive stress, job-seeking stress, self-efficacy
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