Lavender Sandalwood Aromatherapy Study

NCT07737392 | Not Yet Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: HSC-MH-25-0731
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 182
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The purpose of this randomized controlled study is to explore whether lavender sandalwood aromatherapy can support comfort, mood, pain relief, and overall satisfaction for participants recovering from a scheduled cesarean section without complications. The main questions this study aims to answer are:

• How does lavender sandalwood aromatherapy affect participants' mood during postpartum recovery after a cesarean section?
• Does lavender sandalwood aromatherapy help reduce pain during recovery?
• Does lavender sandalwood aromatherapy improve participants' overall satisfaction with their recovery experience? Researchers will compare participants who receive lavender-sandalwood aromatherapy with those who do not to determine whether it improves mood, reduces pain, and enhances patient satisfaction. Participants will be asked to:
• Wear aromatherapy tabs on their gown for 24 hours.
• Have the aromatherapy tabs applied 24 hours after the cesarean section and removed 48 hours after the cesarean section.
• Complete surveys at 24 hours and 48 hours after the cesarean section. This will apply to both the control and intervention groups.

Conditions

Pain; Mood; Patient Satisfaction; Scheduled Cesarean Sections

Keywords

Post C/section; Pain; Mood; Aromatherapy; Lavender; Sandalwood; Patient satisfaction

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• PANAS survey to measure mood

  The primary outcome of this study focuses on evaluating participants' emotional well-being by utilizing the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS). This assessment tool will be administered twice: first, at the baseline 24 hours after delivery, and then again at 48 hours following surgery. By comparing PANAS results from these two time points, the study aims to capture any changes in both positive and negative mood dimensions that may occur as a result of the intervention. This approach provides a comprehensive analysis of how the aromatherapy tabs may influence mood and emotional states during the immediate postoperative recovery period.

  The period begins when you enroll and ends when you are discharged, and usually covers a timeframe of three to six days.

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• DVPRS to Measure Pain and Patient Satisfaction

  The period begins when the participants enroll and ends when they are discharged, and usually covers a timeframe of three to six days.

Other Outcomes (1)

• Patient Satisfaction Scores

  Two weeks after discharge, participants will receive the follow-up survey electronically through Qualtrics.

Study Arms (2)

Control group

NO INTERVENTION

Participants assigned to the control group will receive standard post-operative care following their scheduled cesarean section, with no aromatherapy intervention. This approach enables a clear comparison with the experimental group to evaluate the impact of aromatherapy. The PANAS and DVPRS assessments will be administered at 24 and 48 hours post-surgery.

Experimental group

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants assigned to the intervention group will have self-adhesive aromatherapy tabs applied to their hospital gowns within 24 hours after their cesarean surgery. These aromatabs, containing a blend of lavender and sandalwood essential oils, are worn continuously for 24 hours, delivering consistent aromatic exposure. After this 24-hour interval, the tabs will be removed 48 hours post-surgery. To assess the impact of the aromatherapy intervention, the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) and the Defense Veterans Pain Rating Scale (DVPRS) will be administered at both the 24-hour and 48-hour following surgery. This approach will allow for a detailed evaluation of changes in mood and pain levels associated with the use of Aromatabs during the immediate postoperative recovery period.

Other: Lavender-sandalwood aromatherapy tabs

Interventions

Lavender-sandalwood aromatherapy tabs OTHER

The intervention used in this study consists of aromatherapy tabs infused with lavender and sandalwood essential oils. These aromatabs are administered to participants following their cesarean section procedures to evaluate their effectiveness in managing postoperative pain. The choice of lavender and sandalwood is based on their widely recognized calming and analgesic properties, with the goal of providing non-pharmacological support for pain relief. Participants in the experimental group will receive these aromatabs according to the study protocol, allowing for a clear comparison of outcomes between the aromatherapy intervention and the control group.

Experimental group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Gender Eligibility Details: The study exclusively enrolls female participants due to the specific medical nature of the research, which focuses on individuals who have undergone a cesarean section. Since cesarean delivery is a procedure performed only on women, the eligibility for participation is inherently limited to females. This gender restriction ensures that the study population accurately reflects the condition under investigation and allows for meaningful evaluation of the intervention's effects in the appropriate clinical context.
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• To be eligible for participation in the study, individuals must have a cesarean section scheduled in advance and must be admitted to the postpartum unit following their delivery. Additionally, potential participants are required to undergo pre-admission testing. Patients who meet all these conditions-having a planned cesarean procedure, admission to the postpartum unit after delivery, and completion of pre-admission testing within the specified days-will be considered for enrollment in the study.

You may not qualify if:

• Individuals will be excluded from participation in the study if they meet any of the following criteria: First, patients who have an allergy or hypersensitivity to essential oils, including but not limited to lavender or sandalwood, will not be eligible due to the potential risk of adverse reactions associated with exposure to these substances. Second, participants whose newborns require admission to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) following delivery will be excluded, as this circumstance may impact maternal mood and recovery, potentially confounding the study outcomes. Third, patients who are admitted to the labor and delivery unit before their scheduled cesarean section procedure will not be considered for enrollment, since the study is specifically designed for individuals undergoing planned cesarean deliveries and admitted directly to the postpartum unit.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Memorial Hermann Health System: lead

Study Sites (1)

Memorial Hermann Memorial City Medical Center

Houston, Texas, 77024, United States

Location

Related Publications (11)

• Hedigan F, Sheridan H, Sasse A. Benefit of inhalation aromatherapy as a complementary treatment for stress and anxiety in a clinical setting - A systematic review. Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2023 Aug;52:101750. doi: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2023.101750. Epub 2023 Apr 5.

  PMID: 37031643 BACKGROUND

• Lin PH, Lin YP, Chen KL, Yang SY, Shih YH, Wang PY. Effect of aromatherapy on autonomic nervous system regulation with treadmill exercise-induced stress among adolescents. PLoS One. 2021 Apr 13;16(4):e0249795. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0249795. eCollection 2021.

  PMID: 33848307 BACKGROUND

• Vora LK, Gholap AD, Hatvate NT, Naren P, Khan S, Chavda VP, Balar PC, Gandhi J, Khatri DK. Essential oils for clinical aromatherapy: A comprehensive review. J Ethnopharmacol. 2024 Aug 10;330:118180. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2024.118180. Epub 2024 Apr 16.

  PMID: 38614262 BACKGROUND

• Tabatabaeichehr M, Mortazavi H. The Effectiveness of Aromatherapy in the Management of Labor Pain and Anxiety: A Systematic Review. Ethiop J Health Sci. 2020 May;30(3):449-458. doi: 10.4314/ejhs.v30i3.16.

  PMID: 32874088 BACKGROUND

• Hadi N, Hanid AA. Lavender essence for post-cesarean pain. Pak J Biol Sci. 2011 Jun 1;14(11):664-7. doi: 10.3923/pjbs.2011.664.667.

  PMID: 22235509 BACKGROUND

• Caballero-Gallardo K, Quintero-Rincon P, Olivero-Verbel J. Aromatherapy and Essential Oils: Holistic Strategies in Complementary and Alternative Medicine for Integral Wellbeing. Plants (Basel). 2025 Jan 29;14(3):400. doi: 10.3390/plants14030400.

  PMID: 39942962 BACKGROUND

• Blackburn LM, Burns K, DiGiannantoni E, Meade K, O'Leary C, Stiles R. Pain Assessment: Use of the Defense and Veterans Pain Rating Scale in Patients With Cancer. Clin J Oncol Nurs. 2018 Dec 1;22(6):643-648. doi: 10.1188/18.CJON.643-648.

  PMID: 30451995 BACKGROUND

• Bertone AC, Dekker RL. Aromatherapy in Obstetrics: A Critical Review of the Literature. Clin Obstet Gynecol. 2021 Sep 1;64(3):572-588. doi: 10.1097/GRF.0000000000000622.

  PMID: 33927109 BACKGROUND

• Beekley Medical (2025). Elequil aromatabs: Aromatherapy designed for the clinical setting. Retrieved from https://beekley.com/clinical-aromatherapy/elequil-aromatabs-aromatherapy-designedfor-the-clinical-setting

  BACKGROUND

• Ali, B., Al-Wabel, N. A., Shams, S., Ahamad, A., Khan, S. A., & Anwar, F. (2015). Essential oils used in aromatherapy: A systemic review. Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine, 5(8), 601-611. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apjtb.2015.05.007

  BACKGROUND

• Positive Psychology.com. (2019). What is the positive and negative affection schedule? Retrieved from https://positivepsychology.com/positive-and-negative-affect-schedule-panas/

  RESULT

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Pain; Patient Satisfaction

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Neurologic Manifestations; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Treatment Adherence and Compliance; Health Behavior; Behavior

Central Study Contacts

Mi Y Park, MSN

CONTACT

18322476717; mi.park@memorialhermann.org

Shean Manickchan, MBA, MSN

CONTACT

8325676969; shean.manickchan@memorialhermann.org

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Register Nurse

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: July 27, 2026
• First Posted: July 30, 2026
• Study Start (Estimated): September 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): August 1, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 1, 2027
• Last Updated: July 30, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-07

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share
• Shared Documents: STUDY PROTOCOL, ICF
• Time Frame: Data will be available about 3 months after publication for up to 5 years.
• Access Criteria: Qualified researchers may request access for verification, approved secondary analyses, systematic reviews, or IPD meta-analyses. Requests will be reviewed by the principal investigator and relevant institutional offices; approved requestors may need to sign a data use agreement.

Locations

US (1)