Effect of Agarwood (Aquilaria Sinensis) Inhalation Aromatherapy on Workplace Fatigue and Sleep Quality Among Hospital Employees: A Randomized Controlled Trial

NCT07188831 | Not Yet Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: DYU-AGARWOOD-2025
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 78
• Locations: 0 countries
• Sites: N/A

Brief Summary

Hospital staff often experience workplace fatigue and poor sleep quality, which can harm their health, reduce job performance, and increase risks to patient safety. Aromatherapy is a simple, non-invasive complementary therapy that may help reduce fatigue and improve sleep. Agarwood (Aquilaria spp.) has calming and relaxing properties, but there is little clinical research on its effectiveness for hospital staff. This randomized, double-blind, controlled trial will evaluate whether agarwood aromatherapy inhalation can improve fatigue and sleep quality among hospital employees in Taiwan. About 78 participants will be recruited and randomly assigned to one of two groups:

1. 1.Experimental group: Agarwood sachet containing agarwood wood chips and essential oil.
2. 2.Control group: Placebo sachet containing almond oil.

Conditions

Fatigue; Occupational Stress or Workplace Stress; Sleep Quality

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Workplace Fatigue

  Change in fatigue levels measured by the Chinese version of the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (21 items across four domains: personal, work-related, client-related, and overcommitment). Higher scores indicate greater fatigue.

  Baseline and after 1-week intervention

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Sleep Quality

  Baseline and after 1-week intervention

Study Arms (2)

Group of agarwood

EXPERIMENTAL

Inhalation of agarwood (Aquilaria crassna, "Guangdong green kyara") wood chips + 2 drops agarwood essential oil in sachet, and exposure during sleep for 7-8 hrs/night × 7 nights

Other: Agarwood Aromatherapy Inhalation

Group of sachet

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Inhalation of sachet containing diffuser sticks soaked with sweet almond carrier oil (odorless placebo), and same exposure schedule

Other: Agarwood Aromatherapy Inhalation

Interventions

Agarwood Aromatherapy Inhalation OTHER

The experimental group will receive agarwood essential oil sachets as the aromatherapy intervention, and participants will place the sachet 60 cm from the nose during sleep for one week.

Group of agarwood; Group of sachet

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 20 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• ≥20 years old, hospital employee working ≥30 hrs/week, employed ≥3 months
• Not using sedatives/hypnotics
• Normal olfactory function (verified with coffee/vinegar smell test)
• Clear consciousness, can read and understand Chinese, no major communication barriers
• Not participating in other aromatherapy or relaxation intervention studies

You may not qualify if:

• Major psychiatric disorders (e.g., major depression, schizophrenia)
• Malignancy under active radio/chemotherapy
• CNS diseases (e.g., brain tumor)
• History of asthma, fragrance allergy, pregnancy
• Chronic rhinitis, nasal surgery, anosmia
• Permanent night-shift workers (≥ midnight to 5am, as defined by ILO, 1995)

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Da-Yeh University: lead

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Fatigue; Occupational Stress; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Occupational Diseases; Stress, Psychological; Behavioral Symptoms; Behavior; Sleep Disorders, Intrinsic; Dyssomnias; Sleep Wake Disorders; Nervous System Diseases; Mental Disorders

Central Study Contacts

Yi-chen Wu, PhD

CONTACT

+886-4-8511888; yichenwu@mail.dyu.edu.tw

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: DOUBLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT, INVESTIGATOR
• Purpose: SUPPORTIVE CARE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Assistant Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: September 16, 2025
• First Posted: September 23, 2025
• Study Start: September 1, 2025
• Primary Completion (Estimated): July 1, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): July 1, 2026
• Last Updated: September 23, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-09

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share