EFFECT OF LAVENDER SCENT ON THE ANXIETY ASSOCIATED WITH ENDOSCOPIC PROCEDURES: RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL

Introduction: Although endoscopic procedures play an important role in diagnosis and treatment, individuals may experience high levels of anxiety during these procedures. This study aims to evaluate the effects of lavender oil inhalation on anxiety in individuals prior to endoscopic procedures in a city in Türkiye. Methods: In a randomized controlled trial conducted in a city in Türkiye, 124 patients/healthy participants scheduled to undergo endoscopic procedures were allocated to intervention and control groups. Participants inhaled lavender essential oil or distilled water for 10 days prior to the procedure. Anxiety levels were assessed one month before the procedure and immediately prior to the procedure using the State–Trait Anxiety Inventory I and II (STAI-I, II). Results: There were no significant differences between the groups in terms of sociodemographic characteristics, type of planned endoscopic procedure, or history of previous endoscopic procedures (p>0.001). When pre- and post-aromatherapy scores with lavender oil were examined, although decreases were observed in both state and trait anxiety scores, no statistically significant difference was found between the groups (baseline p=0.003; post-intervention p=0.010). Although the results were not statistically significant, the direction of the effect suggests that the aromatherapy intervention may provide clinical benefits in reducing anxiety. Conclusion: In this study, aromatherapy with lavender oil did not demonstrate a statistically significant effect on state or trait anxiety. These findings indicate that further studies comparing different types of essential oils, application durations, and dosages are needed to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of aromatherapy.