Investigation of the effect of abdominal massage applied to palliative care patients on constipation and quality of life

Title: Investigation of the effect of abdominal massage applied to palliative care patients on constipation and quality of life. Aim: The study was planned as a randomized experimental study with a pretest-posttest control group design to determine the effect of abdominal massage applied to palliative care patients on constipation and quality of life. Material and Methods: The research was carried out between October 2022 and May 2023, with patients receiving inpatient treatment and care in Eskişehir City Hospital Palliative Care Clinic, and a total of 52 volunteer patients, 26 experimental and 26 control, who met the sample selection criteria. Individual Descriptive Characteristics Form, Rome IV Constipation Diagnostic Criteria, Constipation Severity Scale, Constipation Quality of Life Scale were used to collect research data. The data obtained from the research were analyzed with descriptive statistical methods, Chi-Square, Friedman, Mann Whitney U, Bonferroni Test. Findings: After the abdominal massage applied to the experimental group, there was a statistically significant difference in the severity of constipation on the 5th and 7th days in favor of the experimental group. It was also found that there was a statistically significant difference in favor of the experimental group on the 3rd and 7th days in the quality of life after the abdominal massage applied to the experimental group. Conclusion: In this study, as a result of abdominal massage applied to the experimental group for seven days, it was determined that abdominal massage was effective in reducing constipation and increasing the quality of life. Keywords: Palliative care, abdominal massage, constipation, quality of life, nursing care.