EFFECTS OF CİTRUS AND CLOVE OİL AROMATHERAPY İN OLDER ADULTS (ARTICLE)

January 18, 2026 updated by: İbrahim Duman, Mersin University

THE EFFECTS OF CİTRUS AND CLOVE OİL AROMATHERAPY ON FATİGUE LEVEL, SLEEP, AND QUALİTY OF LİFE İN OLDER ADULTS

This study aimed to determine the effects of citrus and clove oil aromatherapy, administered via inhalation (2 drops, 2 minutes, 3 times a week for one month), on fatigue level, sleep quality, and quality of life in older adults.

Research Hypotheses

H11: Inhalation aromatherapy with 2 drops of pure citrus oil administered for 2 minutes, 3 times a week, for a total of 12 sessions over one month is effective on fatigue level in older adults.

H01: Inhalation aromatherapy with 2 drops of pure citrus oil administered for 2 minutes, 3 times a week, for a total of 12 sessions over one month is not effective on fatigue level in older adults.

H12: Inhalation aromatherapy with 2 drops of pure citrus oil administered for 2 minutes, 3 times a week, for a total of 12 sessions over one month is effective on sleep quality in older adults.

H02: Inhalation aromatherapy with 2 drops of pure citrus oil administered for 2 minutes, 3 times a week, for a total of 12 sessions over one month is not effective on sleep quality in older adults.

H13: Inhalation aromatherapy with 2 drops of pure citrus oil administered for 2 minutes, 3 times a week, for a total of 12 sessions over one month is effective on quality of life in older adults.

H03: Inhalation aromatherapy with 2 drops of pure citrus oil administered for 2 minutes, 3 times a week, for a total of 12 sessions over one month is not effective on quality of life in older adults.

H14: Inhalation aromatherapy with 2 drops of pure clove oil administered for 2 minutes, 3 times a week, for a total of 12 sessions over one month is effective on fatigue level in older adults.

H04: Inhalation aromatherapy with 2 drops of pure clove oil administered for 2 minutes, 3 times a week, for a total of 12 sessions over one month is not effective on fatigue level in older adults.

H15: Inhalation aromatherapy with 2 drops of pure clove oil administered for 2 minutes, 3 times a week, for a total of 12 sessions over one month is effective on sleep quality in older adults.

H05: Inhalation aromatherapy with 2 drops of pure clove oil administered for 2 minutes, 3 times a week, for a total of 12 sessions over one month is not effective on sleep quality in older adults.

H16: Inhalation aromatherapy with 2 drops of pure clove oil administered for 2 minutes, 3 times a week, for a total of 12 sessions over one month is effective on quality of life in older adults.

Study Overview

Status

Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

51

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Individuals who are: • 65 years of age or older

    • Registered at the 60+ Refreshment University campus
    • Can understand and communicate in Turkish
    • Have a score of ≥24 on the Standardized Mini Mental State Examination (SMMT)
    • Have a visual similarity scale (VAS-S) score of 4 or higher for sleep problems within the past week
    • Have a visual similarity scale (VAS-F) score of 4 or higher for fatigue level within the past week
    • Have agreed to participate in the study will be included in the study.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Those with a known allergy/sensitivity to citrus or clove oil,
  • Those diagnosed with any respiratory disease (asthma, COPD, etc.),
  • Those with any health condition that impairs their ability to smell will not be included in the study.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Triple

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Citrus Oil Aromatherapy Arm,
Older adults receiving inhalation aromatherapy with 2 drops of pure citrus oil for 2 minutes, 3 times a week, for one month (12 sessions in total).
Other: Intervention Group 1
Intervention 1 (Citrus Oil) Group: This group receives treatment 3 times a week (Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays between 13:00 and 14:00), for a total of 12 sessions over one month, with 2 drops of citrus oil applied to a 6x6 cm gauze pad for 2 minutes in each session.
Experimental: Clove Oil Aromatherapy Arm
Older adults receiving inhalation aromatherapy with 2 drops of pure clove oil for 2 minutes, 3 times a week, for one month (12 sessions in total).
Other: Intervention Group 2
This group undergoes a total of 12 sessions over one month, 3 times a week (Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays between 13:00 and 14:00), each session involves applying 2 drops of clove oil for 2 minutes, using a 6x6 cm gauze pad in each application.
Placebo Comparator: Placebo Control Arm
Older adults not receiving any aromatherapy intervention (or receiving standard care only).
Other: Placebo Control Group
This group undergoes a treatment three times a week (Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays between 13:00 and 14:00), a total of 12 sessions over one month, and in each session, 2 drops of almond oil are applied to a 6x6 cm gauze pad for 2 minutes.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in fatigue level assessed by the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI-20)
Time Frame: Baseline and at the end of the 4-week intervention period
Fatigue level will be assessed using the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI-20), a validated self-report questionnaire. Prior to the initiation of the aromatherapy intervention, baseline MFI-20 data will be collected through face-to-face interviews conducted by Assessor 1. Following the completion of the four-week intervention period, the MFI-20 will be re-administered through face-to-face interviews by Assessor 2. The primary outcome will be the mean change in total MFI-20 score from baseline to post-intervention. Comparisons will be conducted between the intervention groups and the placebo control group.
Baseline and at the end of the 4-week intervention period
Change in insomnia complaints and sleep quality assessed by the Basic Insomnia and Sleep Quality Scale (BaSIQS)
Time Frame: Baseline and at the end of the 4-week intervention period
Insomnia complaints and sleep quality will be assessed using the Basic Insomnia and Sleep Quality Scale (BaSIQS), a validated self-report questionnaire. Baseline measurements will be collected through face-to-face interviews conducted by Assessor 1 prior to the initiation of the aromatherapy intervention. Following the completion of the four-week intervention period, the BaSIQS will be re-administered through face-to-face interviews by Assessor 2. The primary outcome will be the mean change in total BaSIQS score from baseline to post-intervention. Comparisons will be made between the aromatherapy intervention groups and the placebo control group.
Baseline and at the end of the 4-week intervention period

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in quality of life assessed by the Older People's Quality of Life Questionnaire-Brief (OPQOL-Brief)
Time Frame: Baseline and at the end of the 4-week intervention period
Quality of life will be assessed using the Older People's Quality of Life Questionnaire-Brief (OPQOL-Brief), a validated self-report instrument. Baseline measurements will be collected through face-to-face interviews conducted by Assessor 1 prior to the initiation of the aromatherapy intervention. Following the completion of the four-week intervention period, the OPQOL-Brief will be re-administered through face-to-face interviews by Assessor 2. The primary outcome will be the mean change in total OPQOL-Brief score from baseline to post-intervention. Comparisons will be made between the aromatherapy intervention groups and the placebo control group.
Baseline and at the end of the 4-week intervention period

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Mersin University

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

Helpful Links

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

February 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

June 30, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

December 30, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

September 23, 2025

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 18, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

January 26, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

January 26, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 18, 2026

Last Verified

January 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Other Study ID Numbers

  • ERU-SBF-ID-01

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

Individual participant data (IPD), even if anonymized, will not be shared with researchers outside the primary study team. The collected individual-level data will be used solely for the purposes of this study and will be protected in accordance with ethical approval and informed consent procedures. Study findings will be reported only in aggregate form, and no external access to individual participant data will be provided.

Study Data/Documents

  1. Study Protocol

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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