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Effects of Smiling on Nursing Student Stress and Correlates with Immune Function
Miller, Claire
Miller, Claire
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Date
2022
Additional date(s)
5/19/2022
Abstract
Stress is linked to many different pathological disorders in various body systems and can trigger inflammation which in turn correlates with certain disease states (Yaribeygi et al., 2017). Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a pro-inflammatory cytokine that triggers immune response to help the body return to homeostasis by affecting different types of cells. The presence of IL-6 is increased during periods of environmental stress (Tanaka et al., 2014). This study examined the effects of a web-based smiling exercise on stress levels in nursing students. Additionally, it explored the correlation between stress and IL-6. Participants (n=14) were evenly divided into a control group and a smiling group. The smiling group completed the intervention prior to their vital sign checkoff, a stressful event for nursing students. Each participant completed stress visual analog scales pre-checkoff, during checkoff and post-checkoff and provided a saliva sample for IL-6 analysis. For pre-checkoff and during checkoff, the smiling group had a lower average reported stress level. However, the difference between the groups was not statistically significant (p>0.05). Twelve participants had elevated IL-6 levels and there was moderate correlation between reported stress levels during checkoff and IL-6 levels. Further research needs to be done with a larger sample size to determine if the IL-6 levels and correlation are significant and to further explore the intervention. These study findings highlight the importance of focusing on the health and wellness of nursing students.
Contents
Subject
stress
smiling
interleukin-6
nursing students
smiling
interleukin-6
nursing students
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Department
Nursing