INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NURSING AND MIDWIFERY SCIENCE (IJNMS)
Vol. 10 No. 2 (2026): VOLUME 10 ISSUE 2 AUGUST 2026

COMPARISON OF WARM WATER FOOT HYDROTHERAPY WITH AND WITHOUT EPSOM SALT ON LOWER EXTREMITY EDEMA AMONG THIRD-TRIMESTER PREGNANT WOMEN

Sartika (Politeknik Kesehatan Bhakti Pertiwi Husada)
Sylvia Meristika Rachman (Politeknik Kesehatan Bhakti Pertiwi Husada)
Noorlinda (Politeknik Kesehatan Bhakti Pertiwi Husada)



Article Info

Publish Date
30 Jul 2026

Abstract

Lower extremity edema is a common discomfort experienced by third-trimester pregnant women due to physiological changes during pregnancy. This study aimed to analyze the effectiveness of foot hydrotherapy with Epsom salt in reducing lower extremity edema among third-trimester pregnant women in Weru District, Cirebon Regency. This study used a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest control group design involving 30 third-trimester pregnant women selected using purposive sampling. Respondents were divided into an intervention group receiving foot hydrotherapy with Epsom salt and a control group receiving warm water foot hydrotherapy only. Data were analyzed using the Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test and Mann-Whitney U Test. The results showed significant reductions in edema scores in the Epsom salt group (p = 0.001) and warm water group (p = 0.008). The Mann-Whitney U Test also demonstrated a significant difference between groups (p = 0.001), indicating that foot hydrotherapy with Epsom salt was more effective than warm water hydrotherapy alone in reducing lower extremity edema. Foot hydrotherapy with Epsom salt may be recommended as a simple, safe, affordable, and non-pharmacological complementary intervention for reducing edema among third-trimester pregnant women.

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