Effect of aromatherapy massage on abdominal fat and body image in post-menopausal women

Department of Nursing, Wonkwang Health Science College, Korea.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to verify the effect of aromatherapy massage on abdominal fat and body image in post-menopausal women.

METHOD: A Non-equivalent control group pre-post test Quasi-experimental design of random assignment was applied. All subjects received one hour of whole body massage as treatment by the same researcher every week for 6 weeks. Participants also massaged their own abdomen two times everyday for 5 days each week for 6 weeks. The two groups used different kinds of oil. The experimental group used 3% grapefruit oil, cypress and three other kinds of oil. The control group used grapeseed oil. Data was collected before and after the treatment using Siemens Somatom Sensation 4, a tape measure and MBSRQ. Data was analyzed by ANCOVA using the SPSS/PC+Win 12 Version.

RESULT: Abdominal subcutaneous fat and waist circumference in the experimental group significantly decreased after aromatherapy massage compared to the control group. Body image in the experimental group was significantly better after aromatherapy massage than in the control group.

CONCLUSION: These results suggest that Aromatherapy massage could be utilized as an effective intervention to reduce abdominal subcutaneous fat, waist circumference, and to improve body image in post-menopausal women.

Editor's note: The 'other' oils in the experimental group's blend are not noted. However, it grapefruit essential oil itself is commonly used in blends for adipose reduction. Lavender is often used for appetite control, and may aid the stress-relieving ability of the oils, reducing stress-induced over eating.