Reducing Anxiety in Children Undergoing Day Surgery

The Efficacy of Finger Puppets, Distraction Cards and Kaleidoscope for Reducing Anxiety in Children Undergoing Day Surgery

Aim: This study was conducted to determine the efficacy of finger puppets, distraction cards and kaleidoscope for reducing anxiety in children undergoing day surgery.

Methods: The study was conducted using the "pre-post test unmatched group model", one of the quasi-experimental methods. The study was conducted between April 2023 and January 2024 with children aged 6-12 years who were admitted to the pediatric clinic of a hospital for day surgery. A total of 85 children (including 20 children in the control group, 22 children in the finger puppet intervention group, 21 children in the distraction cards intervention group, and 22 children in the kaleidoscope intervention group) who were hospitalized in the pediatric clinic between April 2023 and January 2024 and who met the inclusion criteria were included in the study. Descriptive statistics, Mann Whitney U test, Kruskal Wallis and regression analysis were used in the evaluation of the data.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Anxiety; Surgery; Child, Only
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: distraction cards, kaleidoscope and finger puppet

Detailed Description

This study was conducted to determine the efficacy of finger puppets, distraction cards and kaleidoscope for reducing anxiety in children undergoing day surgery. The study was conducted using the "pre-post test unpaired group model", one of the quasi-experimental methods.

The study was carried out from April 2023 to January 2024, involving children aged 6-12 years admitted to the pediatric clinic of a teaching and research hospital for day surgery (tonsillectomy, circumcisio, adenotonsillectomy etc.). Notably, the nursing care provided at the hospital does not incorporate distraction techniques aimed at alleviating anxiety in children.

Sample The sample required for the study was calculated using the G*Power (3.1.9.4) computer program. Based on the Type I error of 5%, Type II error of 99%, SD = 6.20, and Type I error of 5% in the study by Dehghan et al. (2017), the desired effect size for this study was 0.55 and the total required sample size was 64 children (approximately 21 children for each group) (Dehghan et al., 2017). A total of 85 children, comprising 20 children in the control group, 22 in the finger puppet intervention group, 21 in the distraction cards intervention group, and 22 in the kaleidoscope intervention group, was recruited from the pediatric clinic between April 2023 and January 2024, meeting the study's inclusion criteria. Notably, no randomization method was employed in the selection process.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 85
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Turkey
  • Bilecik, Turkey
    • Bilecik Seyh Edebali University

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Child
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• children aged 6-12 years
• scheduled for day surgery
• devoid of prior surgical experiences
• willingly consented to participation.

Exclusion Criteria:

• children undergoing major surgeries (e.g., cardiac procedures)
• emergency surgical interventions
• individuals with mental retardation
• as well as those with visual or auditory impairments.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
• Allocation: Non-Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
No Intervention: Control group; 20 children in the control group
Experimental: Experimental group; 22 in the finger puppet, 21 in the distraction cards intervention group, and 22 in the kaleidoscope intervention group	Other: distraction cards, kaleidoscope and finger puppet; A kaleidoscope, characterized by vibrant patterns visible through rotation of its cylinders, operates on the principle of light refraction, producing dynamic and ever-changing visual displays. Distraction cards feature an array of images and shapes, each measuring approximately 5-8 cm in length. These intricate designs are discernible only upon careful examination of the cards. Puppets, as a therapeutic intervention tool, significantly influence children's personal, social, and emotional development, facilitating their comfortable expression of emotions.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Anxiety	This study was conducted to determine the efficacy of finger puppets, distraction cards and kaleidoscope for reducing anxiety in children undergoing day surgery	up to 10 months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Bilecik Seyh Edebali Universitesi
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: ASLI AKDENİZ KUDUBEŞ, phd, Bilecik Seyh Edebali University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): April 1, 2023
• Primary Completion (Actual): August 1, 2023
• Study Completion (Actual): January 1, 2024

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: April 3, 2024
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 7, 2024
• First Posted (Actual): April 11, 2024

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 11, 2024
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 7, 2024
• Last Verified: April 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Child; Anxiety; Day surgery
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Anxiety Disorders
• Other Study ID Numbers: aslıakdeniz

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No