Effectiveness of aromatherapies with lavender and cinnamon essential oils on prostaglandin E2 levels in adolescent girls with primary dysmenorrhea

Abstract

Background: Dysmenorrhea is a gynecologic complaint characterized by the presence of painful cramps before and during menstruation due to elevated levels of prostaglandin E2 and F2α, resulting in hypercontraction in the endometrium. Objective: This study aims at analyzing the effectiveness of aromatherapies with lavender and cinnamon essential oils on prostaglandin E2 levels in adolescent girls with primary dysmenorrhea. Methods: This research applied the pretest-posttest randomized experimental design and was conducted at Hidayatullah Islamic boarding school Makassar. The number of samples is 36 respondents that are obtained by purposive sampling. These respondents are divided into three groups: aromatherapy with lavender, aromatherapy with cinnamon, and control, each consisting of 12 respondents. The intervention is conducted three times on the first and second days of the menstruation cycle. This research also uses ELISA Kit at Hasanuddin University Laboratory to measure the levels of prostaglandin E2. Findings: There is a significant decrease in prostaglandin E2 levels in both aromatherapies with lavender and cinnamon groups (p<0.05), whereas there is only an increase in prostaglandin E2 levels of 5.46 pg/ml in the control group (p>0.05). Conclusion: Aromatherapies with Lavender and Cinnamon Essential Oils effectively reduce prostaglandin E2 levels.