Effectiveness of cinnamon chewing gum on memory and anxiety among adolescents at selected seventh day adventist high schools, Andhra Pradesh

Teenage years are the “best years of one’s life”. For many college and high school students today, nothing is more agonizing than their poor academic performance and anxiety. Our sense of smell plays a major role in solving these problems. Objectives: To assess the level of memory and anxiety among adolescents before and after cinnamon chewing gum. Design: True Experimental design where one group pre test and post test with control group design. Setting: Seventh Day Adventist High School, Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh. Participants: Adolescents who fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Selection criteria: Adolescents who were both male and female and studying 8th – 10th standard were selected Methods: out of 30, 15 adolescents in control group and 15 adolescents in experimental group were selected by using stratified random sampling technique. Pre and post test assessment was done by using modified P.G.I memory assessment scale to assess memory and modified Max Hamilton’s anxiety rating scale to assess anxiety. Results: Most of them were in the age group of 13 and 14 years studying 9th standard. From the findings, in memory the mean difference was 31% and in anxiety 22% in experimental group whereas in control group memory 1% and anxiety 7%. Paired ‘t’test score in control group was 0.54 in memory and 1.86 in anxiety. In experimental group, paired ‘t’test score was 23.7 in memory and 17.2 in anxiety when compared to the level of significant (p<0.05) it was high. Unpaired ‘t’ test score for memory was 18.6 and anxiety was 24.1. It seems that cinnamon chewing gum on memory and anxiety among adolescents was effective. There was a moderately negative co-relation between memory and anxiety which revealed that when the level of memory increased, level of anxiety was decreased. There was no significant association between post test scores on memory and anxiety in control and experimental group and their demographic variables. Conclusion: Olfaction in human beings plays a major role in recollecting memories and relaxation. The scent of cinnamon acts on the cerebral cortex, boosting the brain function and as a tranquilizing agent in stress. Clinical practice: To prove this study they need supportive research to be warranted. Cinnamon can be used for type 2 diabetes, atherosclerosis. This study can be applied for Alzheimer’s patients in improving memory and stress in elderly people