The Effectiveness of Nursing Interventions on Fatigue and Sleep Quality in Hospitalized Cancer Patients: The Role of Foot Massage and Bed Bath

Background In diseases requiring long-term treatment, such as cancer, the importance of holistic nursing support is increasing. Both foot massage and bed baths are holistic care methods that address patients' physical, emotional, and psychological needs, and research indicates they can effectively reduce symptoms like fatigue and sleep disturbances. Objective This study aims to evaluate and compare the effects of foot massage and bed baths on fatigue and sleep quality in hospitalized cancer patients. Method A randomized controlled experimental design was employed, involving 39 cancer patients who were randomly assigned to three groups: Foot Massage (FM) (n = 12), Bed Bath (BB) (n = 12), and Control (n = 15). The treatments were administered for four consecutive days, two hours before bedtime, with each session lasting 30 minutes. The control group received routine care without additional interventions. Data was collected using the Patient Information Form, the Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI), and the Richard Campbell Sleep Questionnaire (RCSQ), through five repeated measurements. Results Before the interventions began, there were no significant differences between the groups in terms of fatigue or sleep quality. On days three and four, the average scores of the FM group (3.82 ± 2.63 and 3.25 ± 2.36) were significantly lower than those of both the BB group (6.56 ± 1.73 and 5.75 ± 2.22) and the control group (6.97 ± 2.2 and 7.58 ± 2.07) (p > .05). Measurements on day five showed that the FM group (3.07 ± 2.23) and the BB group (5.38 ± 2.12) had lower average scores than the control group (7.87 ± 2.11) (p < .001). Starting from day three, the average scores of the FM group were significantly higher than those of the control group (p < .05 and p < .001). From day four onward, the BB group also demonstrated significantly higher average scores compared to the control group (p < .001). No significant differences were observed between the FM and BB groups regarding the RCSS (p > .05). Conclusion These findings suggest that foot massage and bed baths serve as effective supplementary nursing interventions for reducing fatigue and improving sleep quality in hospitalized cancer patients. Trial registration ClinicalTrials. gov Registry (NCT 06373614) in April 2024 Ethical Approval Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University, Non NonInterventional Clinical Research Ethics Committee, date 04/10/202,3, number 2023/18