Currently submitted to: JMIR Research Protocols
Date Submitted: Jan 31, 2026
Open Peer Review Period: Feb 2, 2026 - Mar 30, 2026
(currently open for review)
Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited. Preprints - unless they show as "accepted" - should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.
The Effect of Hydrotherapy on Work Related Stress Among Academics at a University of Technology in eThekwini, South Africa: A quantitative longitudinal protocol
ABSTRACT
Background:
Occupational stress is a pressing health issue for academic staff, particularly in health sciences faculties where the demands of teaching, research, clinical supervision, and administrative responsibilities are significant. Extended periods of job-related stress can result in detrimental psychological and physical effects. Despite this, non-pharmacological stress management techniques, such as hydrotherapy, are not commonly employed or extensively studied within South African higher education institutions.
Objective:
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the level of knowledge and awareness that academic professionals have regarding hydrotherapy as a technique for managing work-related stress. Furthermore, it seeks to explore the changes in specific physiological stress-related variables among the Health Sciences faculty at Durban University of Technology.
Methods:
The study will adopt a quantitative longitudinal study design with a pre/post evaluation structure. Health Sciences academic professionals who satisfy the study's inclusion criteria will be recruited through purposive sampling. Data will be gathered using structured questionnaires and physiological assessments conducted both before and after the hydrotherapy intervention.
Results:
The Durban University of Technology Institutional Research Ethics Committee has granted ethical approval for the study protocol. The Faculty of Health Sciences has also provided institutional permission. With institutional approval secured, the recruitment of participants and the preliminary testing of data collection tools are set to begin in March 2026. Data will be analysed using SPSS version 29, employing both descriptive statistics and inferential analyses to evaluate changes in physiological variables before and after the intervention. The findings will be displayed in tables and graphs.
Conclusions:
This protocol describes a study examining the use of hydrotherapy as an additional method for addressing work-related stress among academic professionals in the Health Sciences. The results are anticipated to enhance evidence-based strategies for occupational wellness and guide the incorporation of non-drug stress management techniques in higher education settings.
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