Therapeutic Touch and Foot Reflexology on Sleep Quality and Menopausal Symptoms

Natural disasters can have substantial effects on individual and public health. Türkiyeis frequently exposed to earthquakes because of its location within the activeMediterranean‐Alpine seismic belt. On February 6, 2023, two major earthquakes withmagnitudes of 7.7 and 7.6 occurred in the Pazarcık and Elbistan districts ofKahramanmaraş, respectively. The earthquakes affected multiple provinces and disruptedaccess to healthcare and other essential services. Such disruptions may increase thehealthcare needs of vulnerable populations, including women.The health effects of disasters may vary according to the characteristics of thedisaster, preparedness, access to healthcare services, and individual and communityresilience. Postmenopausal women may have specific healthcare needs following disastersbecause menopause‐related physiological changes can be accompanied by symptoms such ashot flashes, sleep disturbances, anxiety, and other physical and psychologicalcomplaints. Exposure to stressful events may also influence sleep and menopause‐relatedhealth concerns.Previous research on women's health following earthquakes has primarily focused onreproductive health, while information regarding menopausal symptoms and sleep problemsamong postmenopausal women exposed to disasters is limited. Therefore, assessment ofthese health concerns and evaluation of interventions intended to address them areimportant for informing post‐disaster healthcare practices.Therapeutic touch is a noninvasive complementary practice involving the practitioner'suse of the hands in relation to the individual's body. Reflexology is a complementarypractice involving the application of pressure to specific reflex areas, particularly onthe feet. Both approaches have been investigated in different populations in relation tosymptoms such as stress, sleep disturbances, and menopause‐related complaints.This randomized controlled trial was designed to compare therapeutic touch, reflexology,and a control condition with respect to sleep quality and menopausal symptoms amongpostmenopausal women affected by the February 6, 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes.A total of 155 postmenopausal women were included in the study. Participants wereassigned to therapeutic touch, reflexology, or control groups. Data were collected usingthe Participant Information Form, the Women's Health Initiative Insomnia Scale (WHIIS),and the Menopausal Symptom Assessment Scale (MSAS). Sleep quality and menopausal symptomswere assessed at prespecified time points.The planned statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, Pearson chi‐squaretest, one‐way analysis of variance (ANOVA), paired‐sample t‐test, and repeated‐measuresanalysis of covariance (ANCOVA). Pre‐intervention scores and income level were includedas covariates in the model, and Bonferroni correction was applied for pairwisecomparisons. The analyses were planned to evaluate and compare changes in sleep qualityand menopausal symptoms among the study groups.