# The effectiveness of nursing interventions on fatigue and sleep quality in hospitalized cancer patients: the role of foot massage and bed bath

## TL;DR

This study shows that foot massage and bed baths can reduce fatigue and improve sleep in hospitalized cancer patients.

## Contribution

The study compares the effectiveness of foot massage and bed baths as non-pharmacological interventions for cancer patient care.

## Key findings

- Foot massage significantly reduced fatigue starting on day three compared to bed baths and the control group.
- Both interventions improved sleep quality by day five compared to the control group.
- Foot massage and bed baths are feasible and effective non-pharmacological nursing approaches in hospital settings.

## Abstract

In diseases requiring long-term treatment, such as cancer, the importance of holistic nursing support is increasing. Both foot massage and bed baths are holistic care methods that address patients' physical, emotional, and psychological needs, and research indicates they can effectively reduce symptoms like fatigue and sleep disturbances.

This study aims to evaluate and compare the effects of foot massage and bed baths on fatigue and sleep quality in hospitalized cancer patients.

The research was conducted with hospitalized patients in the oncology clinic of a university hospital between April and November 2024, employing a three-group randomized controlled experimental design. The study included 39 cancer patients who were randomly assigned to three groups: Foot Massage (FM) (n = 12), Bed Bath (BB) (n = 12), and Control (n = 15). The treatments were administered for four consecutive days, two hours before bedtime, with each session lasting 30 min. The control group received routine care without additional interventions. Data was collected using the Patient Information Form, the Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI), and the Richard Campbell Sleep Questionnaire (RCSQ), through five repeated measurements.

Before the interventions began, there were no significant differences between the groups in terms of fatigue or sleep quality. Regarding the BFI scores, on days three (p < .05) and four (p < .001) the FM group demonstrated lower mean scores compared with both the BB group and the control group. On day five, the BFI scores of the FM group and the BB group remained lower than those of the control group, and this difference reached statistical significance (p < .001). Regarding the RCSQ scores, starting from day three, the FM group exhibited significantly higher mean scores than the control group (p < .05 and p < .001). From day four onward, the BB group also demonstrated significantly higher RCSQ scores compared with the control group (p < .001). No significant differences were observed between the FM and BB groups regarding the RCSQ (p > .05).

These findings suggest that foot massage and bed baths serve as effective supplementary nursing interventions for reducing fatigue and improving sleep quality in hospitalized cancer patients.

NCT06373614.

ClinicalTrials. gov Registry (NCT 06373614) in April 2024.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00520-026-10386-7.

Evidence remains limited regarding the effectiveness of foot massage and bed baths in reducing fatigue and enhancing sleep among cancer patients.Foot massage significantly decreased fatigue starting from day three compared to both the bed bath and control groups.Both interventions lowered fatigue levels and improved sleep quality by day five.These non-pharmacological nursing approaches are feasible, acceptable, and effective in hospital settings for cancer care.

Evidence remains limited regarding the effectiveness of foot massage and bed baths in reducing fatigue and enhancing sleep among cancer patients.

Foot massage significantly decreased fatigue starting from day three compared to both the bed bath and control groups.

Both interventions lowered fatigue levels and improved sleep quality by day five.

These non-pharmacological nursing approaches are feasible, acceptable, and effective in hospital settings for cancer care.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00520-026-10386-7.