RESEARCH ARTICLE


Effect of Regular Gum Chewing on Levels of Anxiety, Mood, and Fatigue in Healthy Young Adults



Akiyo Sasaki-Otomaru1, *, Yumiko Sakuma2, Yoshiko Mochizuki3, Sadayo Ishida4, Yuka Kanoya5, Chifumi Sato2
1 Department of Fundamental Nursing and Life Support, Division of Comprehensive Health Nursing Sciences, Graduate School of Health Care Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
2 Department of Analytical Health Science, Graduate School of Health Care Sciences, Division of Comprehensive Health Nursing Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
3 Tokai University Junior College of Nursing and Medical Technology, Hiratsuka-city, Japan
4 Faculty of Nursing, Yamanashi Prefectural University, Kofu-city, Japan
5 Course of Community Health Nursing, School of Nursing, Yamagata University Faculty of Medicine, Yamagata-city, Japan


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Creative Commons License
© Sasaki-Otomaru et al.; Licensee Bentham Open.

open-access license: This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted, non-commercial use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the work is properly cited.

* Address correspondence to this author at the Department of Fundamental Nursing and Life Support, Division of Comprehensive Health Nursing Sciences, Graduate School of Health Care Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University 1-5-45, Yushima, Bunkyo, Tokyo, 113-8510 Japan; Tel/Fax: +81-3-5803-5344; E-mail; sakiahs@tmd.ac.jp


Abstract

Introduction:

The effect of regular gum chewing on psychological status is unknown. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of gum chewing for fourteen days on psychological status and physical and mental fatigue in healthy young adults.

Methods:

We assigned 50 volunteers randomly to an intervention group (n = 26) and a control group (n = 24). Participants in the intervention group were requested to chew the gum twice per a day for fourteen days. The volunteers were required to complete a questionnaire related to lifestyle for baseline assessment. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), the Profile of Mood State (POMS), the World Health Organization Quality of Life 26, and assessment of physical and mental fatigue by visual analog scale were used at baseline, 2 weeks (after intervention), and 4 weeks (follow-up).

Results:

At 2 weeks, the score of state anxiety was significantly lower in the intervention group than the control group. The intervention participants’ scores of depression-dejection, fatigue and confusion in POMS were better than the control group scores. Mental fatigue were also relieved after the intervention. At 4 weeks, there were no significant differences between both groups.

Conclusion:

Fourteen days’ gum chewing may improve the levels of anxiety, mood and fatigue.

Keywords: Gum, chewing, anxiety, mood, fatigue.