หน้า 200
Discussion
Hypothesis one:
There is a decrease in mean
blood pressure level between the foot reflexology
and control groups at the end of four weeks of
treatment. Analyses of data in this study indicated that there was a statistically significant difference in mean blood pressure between the foot reflexol-
ogy group and control group at the end of four
weeks of treatment. The mean diastolic blood
pressure in the foot reflexology group was statis-
tically significantly lower than in the control group
(
p
0.05. Results from this study showed
no significant difference in mean quality of life
for both groups. These results differed markedly
from study results of Park & Cho
[24]
and Hodgson
[12]
. Park & Cho
[24]
showed that foot reflexology
significantly improved life satisfaction in 34 pa-
tients with hypertension. This study did not support
Park and Cho’s
[24]
conclusions.
Similarly, Hodgson
[12]
found that foot reflex-
ology could improve quality of life. However,
Hodgson’s study was based on cancer patients and
is difficult therefore to compare with the effects of foot reflexology on quality of life in patients
with hypertension. In addition, the sample size in
her study was small-only twelve subjects including
six in the foot reflexology group, and six in the
gentle foot massage group. Hodgson used the visual
analogue scales for cancer patients to measure
quality of life, as contrasted from the current study’s
use of the WHOQOLBREF World Health Organi-
zation
[30]
which is suitable for use with people who have a general chronic disease. There is a
little difference in mean quality of life between
the foot reflexology and control groups at the end of four weeks of treatment. The evidence relating
to foot reflexology, quality of life and patients with
hypertension did not indicate that foot reflexology