Using of Hot Red Bean Bag on the Symptoms of Depression, Sleep, and Fatigue in Stroke Patients

Background: Symptoms of depression, sleep, and fatigue in stroke patients are associated with each other, and intervention development for improving of these symptoms is needed. This study aimed to examine the effects of hot red bean bag on depression, sleep state, sleep satisfaction, and fatigue among Korean stroke patients. Methods: A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest control group design was employed. The study participants included 57 stroke patients (Intervention: n=28, Control: n=29) in a hospital in Seoul, South Korea from Aug 2017 to Mar 2018. Hot red bean bag, as an intervention, was heated in a 2,450 MHz microwave oven for 3 min, and applied for 30 min at 41±6 ℃ in the lower limbs of the intervention group for 5 days. Results: There were statistically significant differences on depression (P<0.001), sleep state (P<0.001), sleep satisfaction (P<0.001), and total fatigue (P<0.001) between the two groups. Conclusion: Hot red bean bag was an effective intervention for decreasing depression and total/subcategories fatigue, and for improving sleep state and sleep satisfaction of Korean stroke patients. Research on complementary and alternative therapies for stroke patients needs be studied continuously.