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

NCT ID: NCT07188831

Last Updated: 2025-09-23

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 78 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2025-09-30
• Study Completion Date: 2026-07-31

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. Experimental group: Agarwood sachet containing agarwood wood chips and essential oil.

2. Control group: Placebo sachet containing almond oil.

Participants will place the sachet about 60 cm from the nose during sleep for 7 nights. Data will be collected using questionnaires on workplace fatigue and sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, PSQI). The main questions this study aims to answer are: 1. Does agarwood aromatherapy reduce workplace fatigue in hospital staff? 2. Does agarwood aromatherapy improve sleep quality compared with placebo?

Findings are expected to provide scientific evidence for using agarwood inhalation as a safe and convenient strategy to improve staff well-being and support a healthier hospital environment.

Conditions

Fatigue; Occupational Stress or Workplace Stress; Sleep Quality

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: SUPPORTIVE_CARE
• Blinding Strategy: DOUBLE

Study Groups

Group of agarwood

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

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Agarwood Aromatherapy Inhalation

Intervention Type: 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 sachet

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

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Agarwood Aromatherapy Inhalation

Intervention Type: 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.

Interventions

Agarwood Aromatherapy Inhalation

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.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• ≥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

Exclusion Criteria

• 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)

• Minimum Eligible Age: 20 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

Da-Yeh University

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Yi-chen Wu

Assistant Professor

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Central Contacts

Yi-chen Wu, PhD

Role: CONTACT

yichenwu@mail.dyu.edu.tw

+886-4-8511888 ext. 7215

Other Identifiers

DYU-AGARWOOD-2025

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id