Borzoo Tara, Tafazoli Mahsa, Ebrahimzadeh Mona, Kazemi-Arpanahi Hadi, Tabahfar Raha, Kamyari Naser, Hadideh Ferdos, Malaekeh Seyed Mohammad Ali
Department of Nursing, School of Nursing, Abadan University of Medical Sciences, Abadan, Iran.
Department of Health Information Technology, Abadan University of Medical Sciences, Abadan, Iran.
Sci Rep. 2025 Apr 14;15(1):12783. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-97199-6.
Anxiety associated with taking exams jeopardizes students' mental and physical health. Complementary alternative methods, such as aromatherapy and music therapy, have shown promise in reducing negative emotions among students. However, few studies have examined the effects of these interventions. This study aimed to investigate the effects of aromatherapy and music therapy on nursing students' blood pressure (BP) and heart rate before taking an exam. This quasi-experimental, double-blinded study was conducted in 2023 at the Nursing College of Abadan University of Medical Sciences in Abadan, Iran. The research included a total of 169 nursing students, who were randomly assigned to three groups: an aromatherapy group (n = 60), a music therapy group (n = 56), and a control group (n = 53). Aromatherapy was administered by inhaling lavender and damask rose essences, while music therapy involved listening to Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata." The control group received a placebo intervention consisting of cotton soaked in 10 drops of water. Each intervention lasted twenty minutes and was conducted in separate rooms before an exam. Students' heart rates and BP (both systolic and diastolic) were recorded before and after the intervention. The study showed remarkable effects of aromatherapy and music therapy on blood pressure and pulse rate. While systolic blood pressure (SBP) was similar in all groups at the beginning of the study (p = 0.205), SBP decreased significantly after the intervention (p = 0.016), especially in the aromatherapy (p = 0.003) and music therapy (p < 0.001) groups. Both interventions also significantly reduced diastolic blood pressure and pulse rate (p < 0.001) compared to baseline. However, except for SBP (p = 0.021), ANCOVA tests did not reveal significant differences between the study groups for diastolic blood pressure and pulse rate (p > 0.05). The reduction in students' systolic BP before exams, observed with complementary therapies like music therapy and aromatherapy using lavender and damask rose extracts, suggests a decrease in stress-related physiological responses, However, the specific link to exam-related anxiety requires further clarification.
与考试相关的焦虑会危及学生的身心健康。芳香疗法和音乐疗法等补充替代方法在减轻学生负面情绪方面已显示出前景。然而，很少有研究考察这些干预措施的效果。本研究旨在调查芳香疗法和音乐疗法对护理专业学生考试前血压（BP）和心率的影响。这项准实验性双盲研究于2023年在伊朗阿巴丹医科大学护理学院进行。该研究共纳入169名护理专业学生，他们被随机分为三组：芳香疗法组（n = 60）、音乐疗法组（n = 56）和对照组（n = 53）。芳香疗法通过吸入薰衣草和大马士革玫瑰精华进行，而音乐疗法则是聆听贝多芬的《月光奏鸣曲》。对照组接受安慰剂干预，即浸泡在10滴水的棉花。每次干预持续20分钟，在考试前在单独的房间进行。在干预前后记录学生的心率和血压（收缩压和舒张压）。研究表明芳香疗法和音乐疗法对血压和脉搏率有显著影响。虽然在研究开始时所有组的收缩压（SBP）相似（p = 0.205），但干预后SBP显著下降（p = 0.016），尤其是在芳香疗法组（p = 0.003）和音乐疗法组（p < 0.001）。与基线相比，两种干预措施也显著降低了舒张压和脉搏率（p < 0.001）。然而，除了SBP（p = 0.021）外，协方差分析测试未显示研究组之间在舒张压和脉搏率方面存在显著差异（p > 0.05）。使用薰衣草和大马士革玫瑰提取物的音乐疗法和芳香疗法等补充疗法观察到学生考试前收缩压的降低，表明与压力相关的生理反应有所减少，然而，与考试相关焦虑的具体联系需要进一步阐明。
