The Effect of Using a Stress Ball and Watching Cartoons on Fear and Pain Levels During Enemas in Children Aged 6-12

August 7, 2026 updated by: Duygu Sonmez Duzkaya, Tarsus University
Aim: The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of using a stress ball and watching cartoons during the enema procedure-performed as part of the diagnosis and treatment process-on the levels of fear and pain in children aged 6-12 who present to the pediatric emergency department with gastrointestinal (GI) complaints. Method: The study will be conducted between September 2026 and May 2027 at the Pediatric Emergency Unit of Mersin University Faculty of Medicine Hospital with children who are scheduled to undergo enema treatment. Children scheduled to receive enema treatment (a total of 174 children) will be divided into three groups (cartoon-viewing group: 58; stress ball group: 58; control group: 58). All children's vital signs will be assessed prior to the enema procedure. An informational consent form will be administered to the children included in the study prior to the procedure, and fear and pain levels will be assessed by the nurse, parent, and child. In addition to the standard clinical procedure, children in the cartoon-watching group will be shown an age-appropriate cartoon 1 minute before the procedure begins. In addition to the standard clinical procedure, children in the stress ball group will be given a stress ball 1 minute before the procedure begins. No distraction techniques will be used for children in the control group.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

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Detailed Description

Location and Time of the Study The study is planned to be conducted between September 2026 and May 2027 at the Pediatric Emergency Department of Mersin University Faculty of Medicine Hospital. The Pediatric Emergency Department consists of the following sections: Triage, Green Zone (6 beds), Yellow Zone (8 beds), Red/Critical Zone (3 beds), and Trauma Room (3 beds). The unit is staffed by 1 head nurse and 21 ward nurses. With an average of 220 patient visits per day, the most common reasons for presentation are fever, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, cough, respiratory distress, and trauma.

Research Variables Dependent variables: fear level, pain level Independent variables: use of a stress ball, showing cartoons

Data Collection The necessary ethics committee and institutional approvals will be obtained before the study begins. The study will be registered as a clinical trial. The study will include children aged 6-12 years who are undergoing enema procedures of the same type and volume at the Pediatric Emergency Department of Mersin University Faculty of Medicine Hospital and who meet the study's sample selection criteria. Children who do not meet the criteria will be excluded from the study. Procedures will be performed on children in all groups by the same nurse.

In line with the literature, researchers have identified distraction methods (cartoon content and the use of stress balls) appropriate for the developmental characteristics of children aged 6-12. To determine which cartoons will be used in the study, a pool of cartoons will be created by asking a total of ten children-five girls and five boys, aged 6-12-about their favorite cartoons. To evaluate the suitability of the cartoon pool, it will be presented to seven experts in the fields of child development, child psychiatry, and pediatric nursing to obtain their expert opinions. Children in Group 2 will use stress balls. The stress balls will be selected to be a size that children can easily grasp and of a soft texture. A pilot study involving 10 children will be conducted to evaluate the suitability of the data collection tools and distraction methods to be used in the study. The children included in the pilot study will not be included in the research sample. The children participating in the study and their parents will be informed about the purpose, content, and implementation process of the study. Written and verbal consent will be obtained from the parents, and verbal consent will be obtained from the children. All children participating in the study will receive routine clinical care.

Routine clinical procedure: Prior to the enema procedure, the child's vital signs are assessed, and the child is informed about the procedure using age-appropriate language.

The child is positioned appropriately (right or left lateral) and the parent is allowed to remain by the child's side during the procedure. During the procedure, the tip of the tube is lubricated and gently inserted into the rectal area, and the enema solution is administered. After the procedure, the child is monitored for potential complications. An informational consent form will be administered to the children included in the study prior to the procedure, and fear and pain levels will be assessed by the nurse, the parent, and the child. Children who meet the sample selection criteria will be randomized into three groups using a computer-generated random number generator.

  1. Cartoon-viewing group: In addition to standard clinical practice, children in the cartoon-viewing group will be shown an age-appropriate cartoon 1 minute before the procedure begins and will be encouraged to continue watching throughout the procedure.
  2. Stress ball group: In addition to the standard clinical routine, children in the stress ball group will be given a stress ball 1 minute before the procedure begins and will be encouraged to use it throughout the procedure.
  3. Control group: No distraction interventions will be applied to children in the control group; only standard clinical care will be provided.

The levels of fear and pain among children in all groups will be assessed immediately after the procedure is completed (before the child gets up from the dental chair). In addition, the satisfaction levels of children in the intervention groups will be assessed. The data collected will be analyzed using statistical methods, and the results will be reported.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
174

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Contact Backup

  • Name: Fatma Nom

Study Locations

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

Children must:

  • Be undergoing their first enema procedure
  • Be 6-12 years
  • Speak Turkish
  • Have no communication difficulties
  • Both the child and the parent must be willing to participate in the study

Exclusion Criteria:

  • The patient has a high fever (above 38.3)
  • The child has a visual, hearing, intellectual, or physical disability
  • The child has genetic-metabolic or chronic diseases
  • A parent has an intellectual disability
  • Administration of analgesics or sedatives prior to the procedure

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Health Services Research
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Cartoon-Watching Group
In addition to the standard clinical procedures, children in the cartoon-viewing group will be shown an age-appropriate cartoon one minute before the procedure begins, and they will be encouraged to continue watching it throughout the procedure.
Other: Cartoon watching group
In addition to the standard clinical procedure, children in the cartoon-watching group will be shown an age-appropriate cartoon one minute before the procedure begins, and they will be encouraged to continue watching it throughout the procedure.
Experimental: Stress ball group
In addition to the standard clinical procedure, children in the stress ball group will be given a stress ball 1 minute before the procedure begins and will be encouraged to use it throughout the procedure.
Other: Stress ball group
In addition to the standard clinical procedure, children in the stress ball group will be given a stress ball 1 minute before the procedure begins and will be encouraged to use it throughout the procedure.
No Intervention: Control Group
Children in the control group will not be subjected to any distracting interventions; they will receive only routine clinical care.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Fear Scale
Time Frame: 1 day
The scale was developed by Thurillet et al. (2022) to assess children's fears based on self-reports from children aged 4-12. The Turkish validity and reliability study was conducted by Tavşan et al. (2024). The scale consists of 600 facial expressions. The scale rates fear on a scale ranging from 0 to 10 (graded in increments of two), consistent with pain rating scales. The scale's content validity index and item content validity index values were found to be 0.98. A very good level of statistically significant agreement was found between the Fear Scale and the Children's Fear Scale (Kappa = 0.878; p = 0.001)
1 day
Informative Questionnaire
Time Frame: 1 day
The informative questionnaire, developed in accordance with the literature, consists of questions regarding the sociodemographic characteristics and health history of children and comprises a total of 20 questions (Padir, 2023; Düdükcü & Padir, 2025). This form will be developed by researchers. Once permission has been obtained from the children and their parents who meet the inclusion criteria, this form will be completed by the nurse.
1 day
Pencil Pain Scale
Time Frame: 1 day
The Pencil Pain Scale is a valid and reliable measurement tool developed to assess pain levels in children aged 6-12. The scale was developed by Güdücü Tüfekçi and Beyaz. On the scale, a 5-cm line on the pencil illustration is graded from "0" to "5." The "0" mark at the tip of the pencil indicates "no pain," while the "5" mark near the base indicates "unbearable pain." A higher score on the scale indicates an increase in the intensity of the pain the child is experiencing. The Pencil Pain Scale can be used both based on children's self-reports and by an observer (Güdücü Tüfekçi and Beyaz, 2018). The Pencil Pain Scale is a single-item, one-dimensional physical pain measurement tool shaped like a pencil, Because it is a single-item tool designed to measure a single point of pain intensity rather than a multi-question questionnaire,a traditional Cronbach's alpha internal consistency test is typically not applicable or reported for it
1 day

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Child Satisfaction Form
Time Frame: 1 day
The satisfaction assessment scale was developed based on the literature to ensure it is age-appropriate and easy for children to understand (Bozkul et al., 2024). On the scale, scores ranging from 0 to 10 are arranged along a horizontal line, and children are asked to mark the score that best reflects their satisfaction with the education provided. On the scale, a score of 0 indicates no satisfaction, while a score of 10 indicates the highest level of satisfaction. To facilitate the assessment, visuals representing different levels of satisfaction have been added to the points corresponding to the scores. ecause it is a single-item tool designed to measure a single point of pain intensity rather than a multi-question questionnaire, a traditional Cronbach's alpha internal consistency test is typically not applicable or reported for it.
1 day

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Tarsus University

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

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Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
September 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
February 10, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
May 1, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
August 3, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
August 7, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
August 10, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
August 10, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
August 7, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
August 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 2026/08

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

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