EFFECTIVITY OF PEPPERMINT-SCENTED MASK PATCHES IN REDUCING

DROWSINESS AMONG SHS STUDENTS

ALON, ADRIELA YSABEL C.

AÑONUEVO, ALESUND D.

GUTIERREZ, VINZ DENMARK U.

VALENCIA, CHRISTIAN LLOYD A.

A RESEARCH PROPOSAL SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE

REQUIREMENTS FOR PRACTICAL RESEARCH 2

December 2022

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 CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

The medicinal plant peppermint or Mentha piperita has garnered more attention

nowadays due to its health benefits for the food and pharmaceutical communities. It is frequently

utilized in conventional medicine and folk remedies for the treatment of gastrointestinal issues

and activities on the neurological system due to its chemopreventive potential, renal effects,

antiallergenic effects, anticancer, and antibacterial components (Masomeh et al., 2017). In line

with this, a study by Mahdavikian et al. (2021) showed that cardiovascular patients were

observed to experience less fatigue by inhaling scents like peppermint mostly through a diffuser

as part of their aromatherapy routine.

Within the clinical setting, drowsiness is a major indicator of fatigue defined by a

transitional period between a person’s waking consciousness and dream life. The most frequent

cause of excessive fatigue is inadequate sleep which is often voluntarily done especially by

students. Other contributing factors include working at night, taking naps throughout the day,

using alcohol, drugs, cigarettes, inactivity, obesity, and specific medications. However, an

underlying disease may also be the cause of sleepiness even at times when in need or want to

remain awake. Drowsiness is also frequently brought on by depression or a sleep disease such as

narcolepsy, sleep apnea, or restless legs syndrome. (Stuart, 2021).

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 Although some people could feel refreshed after a full night's sleep, the remainder of

individuals start their days feeling completely tired. According to the State of Sleep Health in

America (2022), 70% of individuals report getting inadequate sleep at least once a month in

America, with 11% getting insufficient sleep every night. Sleep-related disorders are estimated to

affect 50 to 70 million Americans of all ages and socioeconomic backgrounds. Teens who lack

sleep are more likely to have a variety of implications such as difficulty concentrating,

unsatisfactory grades, occurrences of drowsy driving, anxiety, sadness, and even suicidal

thoughts and attempts (Stanford Medicine, 2015).

Based on the findings of a study conducted by Mahachandra et al. (2015), peppermint

also has the ability to be used as an in-vehicle fragrance to keep drivers alert. Participants took

part in the experiment in a car-driving simulator laboratory, where the participants' alertness level

was measured using an electroencephalogram or EEG during 30 minutes of driving. Supported

by a journal article by Tang et al. (2021), it can be concluded that peppermint odor emission

provoked a reduction in drivers' degrees of fatigue and heightened their alertness.

A study by Czar (2009) specified how aromatherapy using various essential oils can

affect specific brain regions. According to his research, aromatherapy through the use of

essential oils, such as eucalyptus and peppermint, can effectively stimulate specific brain regions

that are known to control a person's level of attention. The alertness of an individual being

dependent on their attention levels could affect several aspects of their everyday life (Posner and

Boies, 1971).

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 As previously mentioned, sleep deprivation reduces one’s alertness. In the case of

students who will also be the participants of this study, this roots multiple cases of students

sleeping during class hours which puts their academic performance at stake. Hence, this study is

relevant up to this day as it will shed more light on how specific essential oils activate the brain

to increase alertness in diverse contexts.

There is little to no studies conducted locally about the effectiveness of peppermint scent

in reducing drowsiness. One study by Irandoust & Dini (2022) utilized aroma face masks with

the fragrances of Eucalyptus globules Labill and Rosa damascene Mill. The research aimed to

encourage more people to use face masks during pandemics or air pollution by pursuing an

efficient method of treating people with COVID, respiratory conditions, and air pollution. On the

other hand, online shops from Shopee, Lazada, Amazon, E-bay, Walmart, and others have

described the advertised mask patches as air fresheners and purifiers to reduce unwanted odors.

While most studies focus on the capability of peppermint in reducing drowsiness while

driving, the current study investigates the same aroma but in an inclusion setting and through a

different method. Peppermint-scented mask patches will be utilized in order to determine their

effectiveness in reducing drowsiness among SHS students. This population is chosen since their

ages fall in the teen and adult categories. Senior high school pupils are typically between the

ages of 16 and 18 (Roach, 2022). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

(2022), this falls between the age ranges of teenagers (13 to 18 years) who need 8 to 10 hours of

sleep every night, and adults (18 to 60 years) who require 7 or more hours.

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Research Questions

Determining whether the use of peppermint oil fragrance is effective in relieving

drowsiness during class hours will be observed as it is the main focus of this study. Specifically,

this paper sought to answer the following questions:

1. How does peppermint scent help reduce drowsiness?

2. How do the peppermint-scented mask patches affect the energy of the participants?

3. Is there a significant effect of peppermint scent on the sleepiness scale of an individual?

4. Is there a difference between the sleepiness scales among the control and treatment

groups?

5. Are the peppermint-scented mask patches good for future use by students?

6. Does the time of day have an impact on the effectiveness of the peppermint scent?

Research Hypothesis

This study concerning the effectiveness of peppermint-scented mask patches in reducing

drowsiness is determined by proving hypotheses. The null (Ho) hypothesis and alternative (Ha)

hypothesis are stated as follows:

1. Ho = Peppermint scent from the mask patches will not reduce the drowsiness of a person.

2. Ha = Peppermint scent from the mask patches will reduce the drowsiness of a person.

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Significance of the Study

This quasi-experimental study aims to provide critical information and knowledge about

the effectiveness of peppermint-scented mask patches in reducing drowsiness, which will benefit

the following groups and individuals:

1. Medical and Health Sciences. Having little to no research about this product locally in the

medical field in our country is a real challenge for the research community. Although 115

different shopping sectors sell peppermint-scented mask patches, no studies were

provided locally. Hence, this study will help the medical field broaden and discover the

gaps in other studies, such as the effectiveness of peppermint patches in aiding with the

alertness of people when using aromatherapy in an inclusion setting. Furthermore, this

study may be applied or used as a reference for similar topics within the medical field.

2. Department of Education (DepEd) and Private Education Assistance Committee (PEAC).

After acknowledging the need for the proposed product in SHS students, government

agencies like the DepEd and private organizations such as the PEAC can provide mass

production of the proposed product to schools to help create a better learning

environment. Hence, the academic performances of the schools and students can help

boost the morale of the said organizations and agencies.

3. School Staff, Heads, and Administrators. For several school personnel, such as the

teachers, principals, and school directors, this study will provide a better learning

environment for them and the students wherein they can maximize learning where both

parties can focus on their assigned duties.

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 4. The population where the subjects belong to. The students can find a solution to help

alleviate their drowsiness and help keep them energized throughout the day using this

study and its product. In addition, the study provides students with an alternative to

coffee and other chemical-induced energizers that only last for a short period of time in

comparison with the proposed product which can last for a significant amount of time.

5. Other Researchers. Other researchers can use the results of this experimental study as a

foundation for their ongoing or future research. This can also direct and navigate them in

discovering credible, reliable, crucial factors that can help them further understand the

study, especially if the subject matter is related to reducing drowsiness. Additionally,

other researchers can confirm or refute the efficacy of the strategies and peppermint scent

used in reducing drowsiness by carrying out comparable studies.

Scope and Delimitation

Previous investigations have used peppermint in a broad context. However, the use of

mask patches in inducing the peppermint fragrance to relieve sleepiness was never conducted.

Due to a large population and time constraints, participants other than SHS students are excluded

from the study. These subjects are chosen to be focused on since their ages fall in the teen and

adult categories. According to Roach (2022), the age of senior high school students is typically

16-18 years. This falls between the age group of teenagers (13–18 years) who have a

recommended 8–10 hours of sleep and adults (18–60 years) who need 7 or more hours of sleep a

night according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2022).

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 Nowadays, sleep deprivation is so common that everyone, regardless of their age, can

experience it. Still, teenagers are more susceptible to difficulties with their emotional well-being

and mental health than adults (Parantar et al., 2021). With these qualities of theirs, lack of sleep

is likely to result in drowsiness.

The objective of this study is to measure the effectiveness of peppermint-scented mask

patches in reducing drowsiness using various sleepiness scales. Here, the peppermint scent

serves as the independent variable while the drowsiness levels of the individuals are the

dependent ones. As this research uses a quasi-experimental design, control and treatment groups

are to be selected among sleep-deprived SHS students within the vicinities of Santa Cruz, Pila,

and Los Baños, Laguna. The differences between the locations and environments of the

participants can be considered extraneous variables. Thus, questionnaires shall be filled out in

the morning for the first half of data gathering while the other will be answered in the afternoon.

This helps lessen the adverse effects of confounding variables since there are numerous instances

wherein masks are removed before entering school, at lunchtime, and after school hours.

This study is limited to the use of behavioral measures (Psychomotor Vigilance Test) and

subjective rating scales (Epworth Sleepiness Scale and Stanford Sleepiness Scale) since

electrophysiological measures such as the use of machinery and scientific equipment are beyond

the financial capabilities of the researchers. These scales were selected as they are the most

comprehensive and common. At the same time, numerous studies supported the validation of

these scales.

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 Hence, results acquired from the Epworth Sleepiness Scale in the pre-screening

questionnaire will accurately select the needed participants of this study while the Stanford

Sleepiness Scale in the researcher-made questionnaire will affirm whether or not a participant’s

drowsiness has changed before and after the intervention. Considering the limitations and

delimitations of this study, the current research solely aims to determine the effectiveness of

peppermint scent in reducing sleepiness among selected SHS students and does not intend to go

beyond this objective.

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 CHAPTER II

METHODOLOGY

Research Design

This quantitative study will use a quasi-experimental design as it aims to determine the

effectiveness of peppermint-scented mask patches in reducing drowsiness among SHS students.

A quasi-experimental type of research includes a wide variety of non-randomized intervention

studies and is often used to assess the effectiveness of particular interventions (Harris et al.,

2006). In this case, the researchers will use non-randomly chosen control groups, specifically

sleep-deprived SHS students. In addition, pre-intervention and post-intervention assessments will

be analyzed to conclude whether or not the peppermint aroma is effective in reducing

drowsiness.

Context and Participants

The peppermint-scented mask patches to be bought shall have a fragrance that lasts at least

4 hours. These will be obtained from a chosen online shop after considering the rates and

reviews of the product. Prior to the experimentation, each peppermint-patched face mask will be

separately put in a ziplock bag to ensure a lasting aroma. Thereafter, it would be distributed to

the respondents along with the printed questionnaire.

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 A stratified random sampling of the population will be used in this study. Among the

results of the pre-screening questionnaire, thirty participants from public and private schools who

show sleep deprivation and lack of energy in school will be asked to participate in the survey.

The participants will be chosen from 3 towns in Laguna, mainly the vicinities of Santa Cruz,

Pila, and Los baños. The SHS students are chosen to be the best participants due to their age

being 16-18 years old which are classified as teens and young adults.

SHS Students who agree to participate will be requested to answer and complete the

survey explicitly during their morning classes or afternoon classes. This option helps the

researchers to determine whether the results of the questionnaires are determined by the time of

day and the subjects they went through. The chosen participants would be required to answer the

morning questionnaires in the first week and the afternoon questionnaires in the second week.

Instruments

Cluydts et al. (2002) proposed three categories of methods for measuring an individual’s

sleepiness. These are subjective rating scales, behavioral measures, and electrophysiological

measures. The current study adopted assessment tools for sleepiness such as the Epworth

Sleepiness Scale (see Appendix A) and the Stanford Sleepiness Scale (see Appendix B) which

are both subjective rating scales, and the psychomotor vigilance test (see Appendix C) from

behavioral measures. A study by Riegel et al. (2012) also used the three chosen tools. Thus, it

will be the basis of this research instrumentation and analysis. However, a pre-screening and a

researcher-made questionnaire will be included also to achieve the main goal of this study.

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 The Epworth Sleepiness Scale, first created by Dr. Johns in 1990 and later revised in

1997, is a widely used subjective indicator of a patient's daytime sleepiness in the field of sleep

medicine (Johns, n.d.). The test consists of a list of eight scenarios in which you rate your

propensity to nod off on a scale from 0 (no chance of nodding off) to 3 (high chance of nodding

off). There is a lot of evidence demonstrating the ESS's validated psychometric qualities, making

it appropriate for screening daytime sleepiness in a variety of populations around the world.

The Stanford Sleepiness Scale (SSS), created in 1972 by William C. Dement and

colleagues, is a self-report questionnaire that assesses levels of daytime sleepiness. It uses a

seven-point Likert scale, with the scoring of respondents using the scale from one to seven to

indicate their current level of sleepiness. One is equated to feeling vital, alert, or wide awake, and

seven is equated to feeling that sleep is about to begin (Shahid et al., 2011). The scale, which can

be administered in just two to three minutes, is typically used for research and clinical purposes

to monitor general alertness at different times of the day. In a preliminary analysis of the SSS,

Hoddes and colleagues discovered that average SSS scores were significantly higher after 24

hours of complete sleep deprivation. Following total sleep deprivation, researchers discovered

that the scale can be used to predict performance on tasks requiring alertness (such as reaction

time or vigilance tests). However, the scale is less sensitive to partial sleep deprivation, which

most closely resembles the difficulties experienced by people with sleep disorders.

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 The psychomotor vigilance test evaluates the impact of sleep loss, prolonged

wakefulness, circadian misalignment or inappropriately timed sleep and wake, and task

completion on changes in alertness related to fatigue (Basner et al., 2011). Multiple PVT

applications, websites, and software have been created and utilized by previous studies. Due to

financial constraints and uncertain test durations of the other PVTs, a free PVT website created

by Sleep Disorders Center Florida that produces results and interpretations after 2 minutes of test

time is used in the current study. Although no study has utilized this specific website, a

parametric statistical method will be used to determine the correlation of results acquired here

and on the Stanford Sleepiness Scale. If a negligible correlation is observed, data gathered from

the PVT will be disregarded.

The pre-screening questionnaire (see Appendix D) constructed by the researchers

contains dichotomous questions and the ESS scale to determine whether they are qualified to be

the participants of the study. Spaces for their name, age, contact number, and Facebook

messenger handle are also to be filled. Once identified using a random sampling technique, the

researcher-made questionnaire (see Appendix E) attached will be provided. This includes the

SSS, PVT, and five 5-point Likert scale questions where 1 is the lowest and 5 is the highest.

Results from this questionnaire will define the discussions of the study to fulfill its objectives.

Data Gathering Procedures

Prior to the selection of the participants, the researchers will reach out to all schools with

SHS students in Santa Cruz, Pila, and Los Baños, Laguna. Letters will be sent through their

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email addresses to ask for the SHS sections and class list (see Appendix F). A random sampling

technique will be used in all participant selection processes through an online spinning wheel.

Among the responses, one (1) public and private school from each town will be selected,

followed by the selection of sections. All pupils within the determined section’s class list will be

sent an online pre-screening questionnaire via Google Forms. Based on the responses,

individuals who are said to experience sleep deprivation will be sent an informed consent form

(see Appendix G). Ten (10) selected respondents who agree to participate in the study shall

answer the instruments to be used. These are mainly the questionnaire, SSS, and perform the

PVT for pilot testing. Potential problems that may occur during the experimentation will be

identified through an online survey (see Appendix H). Shall there be any complications and

concerns, adjustments within the instrumentations and procedures will be made.

One section for the control group and another for the treatment group of each school will

be selected. Both are composed of five (5) respondents each from the selected ten (10)

respondents per school. The only dissimilarity between the data collection procedure of the

groups is that the treatment group will be given masks with the peppermint-scented mask patch

attached while the control group will be simply given masks without any patches. This

experimentation will be done for a total of ten (10) days. Half of these will be conducted in the

morning (after the student’s school arrival until before lunchtime). The other half will be

conducted in the afternoon (after lunchtime until before the student’s school dismissal). Masks,

mask patches, and printed questionnaires good for the whole experimental duration will be given

personally by the researchers to the respondents before execution.

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 After the student’s school arrival/lunchtime, the participants shall wear the masks (with a

peppermint-scented mask patch for the treatment group and none for the control group) given,

answer the SSS, and finish the two (2) minute PVT to be noted in the given printed

questionnaires. Before lunchtime/school dismissal, they shall answer the SSS and do the two (2)

minute PVT once again. Additionally, the Likert scale questions are to be answered by the

treatment groups. Due to the incapability of the researchers to supervise and observe the

participants in each school, a message through their Facebook Messenger will be sent on the

experimentation days. This will serve as a reminder to the participants to answer the

questionnaire on time and send a photo of the accomplished questionnaire after completion.

Similarly, the researchers will be given validation that the respondents have fulfilled their duty.

On each day of the experimentation, data shown in the photos sent by the participants

will be encoded via Google Spreadsheets. The printed questionnaires will be collected once all

are accomplished. These will be used to cross-check the encoded data beforehand. Thereafter,

statistical interventions and analyses will be done afterward.

Data Analysis Procedures

Parametric statistical interventions will be applied to the values obtained from the

questionnaires as this study uses ratio scales and has a sample size of 30 for each control and

treatment group. Statistical applications utilized in this study are the three measures of central

tendency, standard deviation, Pearson's r, and T-test. Results acquired from these will be the basis

of the researchers’ interpretation of data on whether the treatment used is effective or not.

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 The following statistical applications will be done in the collected data of SSS and PVT

from the treatment group and control groups. Pearson’s r will be used to determine a linear

relationship between the scale ratings from the SSS and the average response time indicated in

the PVT before and after treatment intervention. As said in the instruments, the specific PVT

website used has not been validated by any previous studies. Therefore, a Pearson’s r coefficient

between .00 to .30 which interprets a negligible correlation will make the PVT results invalid. If

so, the mean and standard deviation of the scale ratings from the SSS will be computed. The

mean value result will be interpreted using the following range (Riegel et al., 2012): 0 - 3.99

(sleepy) and 4.01 - 7 (not sleepy).

Descriptive statistics will be used in relation to the T-test. The mean scores of the SSS

and PVT (data after intervention for the treatment group and the second input of data for the

control group) will be computed to determine the significance level. A p-value less than the

significance level will denote that the alternative hypothesis (peppermint scent from the mask

patches will reduce the drowsiness of a person) shall be accepted.

The measures of central tendency will be utilized in interpreting the gathered data from

the Likert scale questions. Interpretation of these questions will be used to determine, clarify, and

support the acknowledged hypothesis.

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 APPENDIX A

EPWORTH SLEEPINESS SCALE

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 APPENDIX B

STANFORD SLEEPINESS SCALE

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 APPENDIX C

PSYCHOMOTOR VIGILANCE TEST

http://www.sleepdisordersflorida.com/pvt1.html#responseOut

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 APPENDIX D

PRE-SCREENING QUESTIONNAIRE

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 APPENDIX E

QUESTIONNAIRE

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 APPENDIX F

LETTER TO SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION

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 APPENDIX G

INFORMED CONSENT FORM

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 APPENDIX H

PILOT-TESTING SURVEY

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