Therapeutic Touch and Foot Reflexology on Sleep Quality and Menopausal Symptoms | NCT07767318 | Trialant

CompletedInterventionalNot ApplicableUpdated Aug 17, 2026

Therapeutic Touch and Foot Reflexology on Sleep Quality and Menopausal Symptoms

Comparative Effects of Therapeutic Touch and Foot Reflexology on Sleep Quality and Menopausal Symptoms in Earthquake-affected Postmenopausal Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Overview

Key facts that identify this study and show where it stands today.

ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT07767318
Lead Sponsor: Osmaniye Korkut Ata UniversityOTHER
Overall Status: Completed
Study Type: Interventional
Phase: Not Applicable
Enrollment: 155Actual
Last Update Posted: Aug 17, 2026Actual
Start Date: Aug 15, 2025Actual
Primary Completion Date: Jan 15, 2026Actual
Completion Date: Aug 1, 2026Actual

Description

What the study is about and why it is being run, in the researchers' own words.

Official Title: Comparative Effects of Therapeutic Touch and Foot Reflexology on Sleep Quality and Menopausal Symptoms in Earthquake-affected Postmenopausal Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Brief Summary: This randomized controlled trial was designed to compare the effects of therapeutic touch and reflexology on sleep quality and menopausal symptoms in postmenopausal women affected by the February 6, 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes.

The study included 155 postmenopausal women assigned to therapeutic touch, reflexology, or control groups. Data were collected using the Participant Information Form, the Women's Health Initiative Insomnia Scale (WHIIS), and the Menopausal Symptom Assessment Scale (MSAS). The study evaluated sleep quality and menopausal symptoms at prespecified assessment points and compared changes in these outcomes among the study groups.
Detailed Description

Conditions

The medical conditions and diseases this study investigates.

Complementary Alternative Medicine
Menopause
Sleep Disturbance

Interventions

The treatments and procedures being evaluated in this study.

Therapeutic Touch
Foot Reflexology

Participation

Who can join this study and the criteria used to decide.

Ages Eligible for Study: Adult (18-64)
Sexes Eligible for Study: Female
Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
Eligibility Criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

Women aged 45-64 years.

Affected by the February 6, 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes.

Natural postmenopause (no spontaneous menstruation for at least 12 consecutive months).

Living in the container settlement during the study period.

Able to communicate in Turkish.

Provided written informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

History of surgical menopause.

Current menopausal hormone therapy.

Diagnosis of a psychiatric disorder.

Use of antidepressants, benzodiazepines, hypnotics, narcotic analgesics, or antihistamines.

Current use of Reiki, acupressure, phytoestrogens, or other complementary therapies.

Foot wounds, infection, or open lesions preventing reflexology.

Refusal to participate or withdrawal of consent.

Design

How the study is designed and how its participant groups are organized.

Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
Allocation: Randomized
Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)

Contacts

The people to reach with questions about this study or how to join it.

No central contacts

There are no central contacts for this study.

Locations

Where the study is run and whether each site is currently recruiting.

İnönü Üniversitesi

Malatya, Turkey (Türkiye)

Collaborators

The organizations and people involved in this study.

Lead Sponsor: Osmaniye Korkut Ata UniversityOTHER

Similar Studies

Other registered studies that closely resemble this one.

Natural disasters can have substantial effects on individual and public health. Türkiye is frequently exposed to earthquakes because of its location within the active Mediterranean-Alpine seismic belt. On February 6, 2023, two major earthquakes with magnitudes of 7.7 and 7.6 occurred in the Pazarcık and Elbistan districts of Kahramanmaraş, respectively. The earthquakes affected multiple provinces and disrupted access to healthcare and other essential services. Such disruptions may increase the healthcare needs of vulnerable populations, including women.

The health effects of disasters may vary according to the characteristics of the disaster, preparedness, access to healthcare services, and individual and community resilience. Postmenopausal women may have specific healthcare needs following disasters because menopause-related physiological changes can be accompanied by symptoms such as hot flashes, sleep disturbances, anxiety, and other physical and psychological complaints. Exposure to stressful events may also influence sleep and menopause-related health concerns.

Previous research on women's health following earthquakes has primarily focused on reproductive health, while information regarding menopausal symptoms and sleep problems among postmenopausal women exposed to disasters is limited. Therefore, assessment of these health concerns and evaluation of interventions intended to address them are important for informing post-disaster healthcare practices.

Therapeutic touch is a noninvasive complementary practice involving the practitioner's use of the hands in relation to the individual's body. Reflexology is a complementary practice involving the application of pressure to specific reflex areas, particularly on the feet. Both approaches have been investigated in different populations in relation to symptoms such as stress, sleep disturbances, and menopause-related complaints.

This randomized controlled trial was designed to compare therapeutic touch, reflexology, and a control condition with respect to sleep quality and menopausal symptoms among postmenopausal women affected by the February 6, 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes.

A total of 155 postmenopausal women were included in the study. Participants were assigned to therapeutic touch, reflexology, or control groups. Data were collected using the Participant Information Form, the Women's Health Initiative Insomnia Scale (WHIIS), and the Menopausal Symptom Assessment Scale (MSAS). Sleep quality and menopausal symptoms were assessed at prespecified time points.

The planned statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, Pearson chi-square test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), paired-sample t-test, and repeated-measures analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). Pre-intervention scores and income level were included as covariates in the model, and Bonferroni correction was applied for pairwise comparisons. The analyses were planned to evaluate and compare changes in sleep quality and menopausal symptoms among the study groups.