Complementary Effects of Auriculotherapy in Relieving Symptoms of Constipation and Promoting Health-related Quality of Life in Elderly Residential Care Home Residents

The present study is a clinical trial that adopts the mixed-method design. A randomized placebo-controlled trial was first conducted to evaluate the complementary effects of auriculotherapy in relieving symptoms of constipation and in promoting disease-specific HRQOL in elderly RCH residents. After the completion of the randomized placebo-controlled trial, the qualitative approach was conducted to explore the participants' experience and perceptions on the use and complementary effects of auriculotherapy with magnetic pellets in managing constipation. The randomized placebo-controlled trial was a double-blind study. The participants were recruited from elderly RCH residents and then randomly assigned to one of the three study groups. The participants received the assigned intervention, namely, auriculotherapy using auricular plaster with magnetic pellet (experimental group), auriculotherapy using auricular plaster with Semen Vaccariae (placebo-controlled group A), or auriculotherapy using only auricular plaster (placebo-controlled group B). Auriculotherapy was applied onto seven selected auricular acupoints for 10 days. Two outcome variables, namely, constipation symptoms and disease-specific HRQOL, were measured before the implementation of intervention (baseline), on Day 10 (at the completion of the intervention), and on Day 20 (at the 10th-day follow-up after the intervention). The generalized estimating equation model was adopted to evaluate the between-group and within-group differences in the complementary effects of auriculotherapy on constipation symptoms and disease-specific HRQOL. In the qualitative approach, the informants were recruited from participants of the experimental group who had successfully completed the study with mean scores in constipation symptoms at the top- or bottom-four ranking. The informants were individually interviewed to explore their experience and perceptions on the use and complementary effects of auriculotherapy in managing constipation.;Ninety-nine participants were recruited in the study. Ninety participants received the intervention as assigned, and eventually, 81 participants completed the intervention. When the interaction effects of time and group were simultaneously considered, statistical significant differences were only found in the satisfaction subscale of the disease-specific HRQOL between the experimental group and placebo-controlled group A on both Day 10 (p=0.016) and Day 20 (p=0.016). For the experimental group, significant time effects were found in constipation symptoms (Day 10:p=0.013; Day 20:p<0.001) and disease-specific HRQOL (Day 10: p=0.005; Day 20:p<0.001) after receiving auriculotherapy. Most importantly, the participants who received auriculotherapy with magnetic pellets showed the greatest improvement in constipation symptoms and disease-specific HRQOL after the intervention compared with the two placebo-controlled groups. The qualitative findings further revealed that auriculotherapy is a safe, well-accepted therapy in managing constipation among elderly RCH residents.;The current study is the first known randomized placebo-controlled trial that evaluates the complementary effects of auriculotherapy in managing constipation in Hong Kong. The current findings indicate positive clinical value of auriculotherapy with magnetic pellets in managing constipation in elderly RCH residents. Auriculotherapy with magnetic pellets was found to provide favourable therapeutic effects in relieving constipation symptoms and in promoting disease-specific HRQOL among elderly RCH residents. This therapy is also considered by elderly people as a safe and acceptable therapy with minimal side effects. In addition, auriculotherapy is considered as a culturally relevant care modality for Chinese elderly RCH residents. The current study contributes new knowledge to nursing for future reference and directions in both nursing practice and nursing research with regard to the complementary effects of auriculotherapy in managing constipation among elderly RCH residents. (Abstract shortened by UMI.).