Effect of Lavender aromatherapy on anxiety among Javanese elderly people with hypertension living in rural community

Background: Hypertension or high blood pressure is one of the primary cause of death. The World Health Organization (WHO) states, almost worldwide 1 billion people have high blood pressure. Uncontrolled, long-term increased in blood pressure can damage vital organ systems. Increased blood pressure in people with hypertension can also cause anxiety. To reduce the impact of anxiety from hypertension, it is helpful to provide lavender aromatherapy for sufferers. Purpose: To examine the impact of lavender aromatherapy on reducing anxiety levels in hypertension sufferers. Method: Using a one-group pre-posttest design in conjunction with a pre-experimental research design. The total sample was 31 people with hypertension. The research took place in Blimbing Village, Gatak District, Sukoharjo Regency and was conducted from 18 November to 2 December 2023. The ZSAS (Zung-Self Anxiety Scale) questionnaire was used as an instrument to measure anxiety levels. The anxiety levels were analyzed using the descriptive statistics test and the effect of lavender aromatherapy was measured by the Paired Sample T-test. Results: Before receiving lavender aromatherapy, 16 (51.6%) hypertensive patients experienced mild anxiety, and 15 (48.4%) had a moderate level of anxiety. Subsequently, after receiving the lavender aromatherapy intervention, anxiety among hypertensive patients decreased from mild anxiety to 27 (87.1%), with only 4 (12.9%) experiencing moderate anxiety. The paired sample t-test yielded a p-value of <0.05. Conclusion: Lavender aroma therapy through candle inhalation has an influence on reducing anxiety levels in hypertension sufferers. Suggestion: It is highly recommended for hypertension sufferers who experience anxiety to use lavender aromatherapy as a complementary therapy.