a comparative analysis of the impact of virtual reality and rose aroma on anxiety, sleep quality, and happiness among patients undergoing dialysis: a randomized control trial with a factorial design

Background: hemodialysis patients frequently experience anxiety and poor sleep quality, adversely affecting overall well-being. objective: the objective is to evaluate the effects of virtual reality (vr) and aromatherapy (ar), individually and in combination, on anxiety, sleep quality, and happiness among patients undergoing dialysis. methods: a randomized controlled trial was conducted with 80 participants (mean age: 55.19 years) assigned to four groups: control (cl), aromatherapy (ar), virtual reality (vr), and aromatherapy with virtual reality (ar + vr). assessments included demographic questionnaires, the spielberger state-trait anxiety inventory, the pittsburgh sleep quality index, and the oxford happiness questionnaire. interventions lasted four weeks, with weekly 15-minute sessions, beginning 20 minutes post-dialysis. the ar group received rose essence via a mask, the vr group viewed calming nature scenes, and the ar+vr group received both interventions. results: analysis (spss v19) indicated that the ar + vr group showed a significant increase in happiness scores compared with other groups (p < 0.001) and reductions in both state and trait anxiety. the cl group exhibited a decline in sleep quality, whereas no significant sleep-quality improvements were observed in the intervention groups. conclusion: integrating vr and ar may reduce anxiety and enhance well-being among dialysis patients. further research is needed to examine long-term effects and optimize intervention strategies.