Skip to main content
OpenTrials
Active, Not Recruiting

NCT Number: NCT06928987

Evaluation of the Efficiency of Touch Massage on the Quality of Life at Work of Nursing Staff Working in a Cancer Center. (Pause "Toucher Massage (TM)")

The goal of this clinical trial is to scientifically confirming the common perception that Touch-Massage (TM) breaks have a beneficial effect on the daily life of paramedics, both psychologically and physically.

The main question[s] it aims to answer [is/are]:

* Evaluating the efficacy of TM on burnout * Evaluating the efficacy of TM on anxiety * Evaluating the efficacy of TM on affect * Evaluating the efficacy of TM on musculoskeletal disorders Researchers will compare 2 groups : Control group of paramedics who do not have the benefit of TM breaks and an experimental group of paramedics taking TM break.

Participants in the experimental group received one 15-minute TM session per week for 6 weeks and burnout, anxiety, affect, and musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) will be assessed in participants using questionnaires at different times of the study. Participants in the control group complete only the same questionnaires at the same times as the experimental group.

Participants in the 2 arms are reviewed at 3 and 6 months to complete the questionnaires.

Active, Not Recruiting

This study is active but is not currently recruiting participants.

Notify Me

Key information

Conditions

Quality of Life at Work Anxiety Disorders Behavior Behavioral Symptoms Burnout, Psychological Cancer Center Mental Disorders Musculoskeletal Diseases Paramedical Professionals Stress, Psychological Touch Massage

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Institut de Cancérologie de l'Ouest

Saint-Herblain, 44805, France

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Nurses or nursing assistant working in the Institut de Cancérologie de l'Ouest's (ICO) medical oncology, surgical oncology, day clinic or early phase unit.
  • Employees who have worked at the ICO for at least 9 months.

Exclusion criteria

  • Employees who have had more than one touch/massage session at the ICO in the last 6 months.
  • Pregnant for more than 4 months (declarative)
  • Employees who have undergone osteo-articular surgery within the last 3 months.
  • Employees with a pre-inclusion MBI score indicating high burnout (emotional exhaustion score >30 and depersonalisation score >12 and personal accomplishment score <33).

Treatment and study plan

Touch Massage

Other

The practitioner performs the touch-massage for 15 minutes on clothed personnel in a seated position on an ergonomic massage chair. The massage focuses on the back, neck and arm areas. It's a precise, technical sequence of pressure, stretching and sweeping movements that follows the following pattern:

  • Basic anti-stress maneuvers to relieve tension,
  • Relaxation of the upper torso with weightless movements to loosen shoulders and arms,
  • Stretching,
  • Redynamization through rapid friction on the back.

Burnout, anxiety, affect, and musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) will be assessed in participants using the following questionnaires at different times of the study.

Primary outcomes

  1. Burn out

    Time frame: At enrolment and at the end of the 6th session of touch massage (1 session per week for 6 weeks)

    Burnout is assessed using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) questionnaire, which consists of 3 scales (emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation and personal accomplishment).

    This score is obtained by adding items 1, 2, 3, 6, 8, 13, 14, 16 and 20, each of which is rated on a 7-point Likert scale (from 0=never to 6=every day).

    • Total < 17: low burnout
    • Total between 18 and 29: moderate burnout
    • Total > 30: high burnout

Secondary outcomes

  1. Anxiety

    Time frame: At enrolment, at the end of the 6th session of touch massage (1 session per week for 6 weeks) and 6 months after randomisation

    Anxiety will be assessed using the State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI TRAIT) questionnaire. The questionnaire consists of 20 items that participants answer on a 4-point scale. Scores range from 20 to 80, with higher scores indicating greater anxiety.

  2. Affect

    Time frame: At enrolment, at the end of the 6th session of touch massage (1 session per week for 6 weeks), at 3 and 6 months after randomisation

    Affect will be assessed using the Positive And Negative Affectivity Scale (PANAS). The questionnaire consists of 10 items assessing positive and negative affectivity. For each item, the participant responds on an ordered scale of 1 to 5, making it possible to calculate a score ranging from 10 to 50 for each dimension.

  3. Musculoskeletal disorders

    Time frame: At enrolment, at the end of the 6th session of touch massage (1 session per week for 6 weeks), at 3 and 6 months after randomisation

    Musculoskeletal disorders will be assessed using the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ). This questionnaire is used to record problems such as pain, discomfort and numbness in different parts of the body over the past 12 months and also over the past 7 days. It can also be used to assess the intensity of the problem at the time the questionnaire is completed.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Institut Cancerologie de l'Ouest

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Evaluation of the Efficiency of Touch Massage on the Quality of Life at Work of Nursing Staff Working in a Cancer Center

Acronym: PauseTM

Important dates

Study start
2024
Primary completion
2025
Study completion
2025
First posted
Apr 15, 2025
Registry last updated
Apr 15, 2025

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Related clinical trials

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.