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The Effect of Foot Reflexology on the Quality of Sexual Life in Hemodialysis Patients: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

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Abstract

Sexual problems of hemodialysis patients are one of the most significant factors affecting their quality of life and families. On the other hand, an essential part of the quality of life is the quality of sexual life and sexual dysfunction that will affect people's perception of the quality of sexual life. Reflexology massage is one of the complementary and alternative therapies combined with conventional medical treatments to reduce disease and treat its complications. This study aimed to determine the effect of foot reflexology on hemodialysis patients' quality of sexual life. This was a parallel randomized sham-controlled trial which conducted in hemodialysis center of Imam Reza (AS) Hospital in Sirjan, Iran. Forty-seven patients under hemodialysis were divided into two groups of foot reflexology (n = 24) and sham (n = 23) using block randomization method. The intervention group received foot reflexology treatment during dialysis for 4 weeks, 3 times a week, 30 min each time (15 min per foot). In the sham group, non-specific foot massage was conducted without squeezing the standard points of reflexology with the same conditions and duration as the intervention group. Quality of sexual life was assessed using female sexual quality of life questionnaire (SQOL-F) and male sexual quality of life questionnaire (SQOL-M) before the intervention, immediately, and one month after the intervention. The results showed that the quality of sexual life of participants in the reflexology group immediately after the intervention (69.74) was significantly higher than before (47.73) and one month after the intervention (52.27). There was no significant difference in the average quality of sexual life of participants in the sham group at different times (before intervention 46.67, immediately after intervention 45.66, and 1 month after intervention 48.18). Immediately after the reflexology intervention, the quality of sexual life was significantly higher than in the sham group (p < 0.001). This study highlights the potential benefit from reflexology in improving the quality of sexual life in patients undergoing hemodialysis. Trial registration IRCT20200712048085N1. Registered 15 July 2020, https://en.irct.ir/trial/49604

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Data Availability

The datasets used for the current study are available from the corresponding author upon request.

Abbreviations

SQOL:

Sextual quality of life

CAM:

Complementary and alternative medicines

WHO:

World health organization

ICC:

Intraclass correlation coefficient

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Acknowledgements

We would thank all patients, the nursing staff of the hemodialysis centers for their cooperation. The approved research project code was 99000056.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Sirjan University of Medical Sciences, Sirjan, Iran

    Somayeh Zeidabadi

  2. Antai College of Economics and Management, School of Media and Communication (SMC), Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU), Shanghai, China

    Jaffar Abbas

  3. Nursing Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran

    Parvin Mangolian Shahrbabaki

  4. Department of Critical Care Nursing, Razi Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Haft-Bagh Highway, Kerman, Iran

    Mahlagha Dehghan

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  1. Somayeh Zeidabadi
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  2. Jaffar Abbas
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  4. Mahlagha Dehghan
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Contributions

SZ, PMS, and MD: designed the study. SZ: collected data. All authors contributed to the study design, they provided critical feedback on the study and statistical analysis, and inputted to the draft of this manuscript. SZ, JA, and MD: wrote the manuscript. All authors have read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mahlagha Dehghan.

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None to be declared.

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Ethical Approval

The present study was done after obtaining the code of ethics No. IR.KMU.REC.1399.248 from the ethics committee of Kerman University of Medical Sciences and the code of clinical trial (IRCT20200712048085N1) from Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials, coordinating with the heads of Imam Reza Hospitals in Sirjan and obtaining informed consent from eligible patients. After obtaining informed written consent from the patients, she explained them the objectives and method of the study before the intervention, and assured them about the information confidentiality and the safety of the study. At the end of the study, a procedure was invented to comply with the study's ethical principles, and interventions were granted to the Sham group.

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Zeidabadi, S., Abbas, J., Mangolian Shahrbabaki, P. et al. The Effect of Foot Reflexology on the Quality of Sexual Life in Hemodialysis Patients: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial. Sex Disabil 40, 567–581 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11195-022-09747-x

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