Effects of Different Transport Methods on Preoperative Anxiety and Fear in Preschool Children
Study Overview
Status
Detailed Description
Preoperative anxiety is frequently observed in preschool children undergoing surgical procedures. The unfamiliar hospital environment, separation from parents, and fear of anesthesia and surgery may increase children's anxiety and fear before surgery. Elevated preoperative anxiety has been associated with poor cooperation during anesthesia induction, increased postoperative pain, maladaptive behavioral changes, and delayed recovery.
Several non-pharmacological interventions have been developed to reduce children's anxiety before surgery. Among these, distraction techniques and child-friendly environmental modifications have shown promising results. Transporting children to the operating room using battery-powered ride-on cars has recently emerged as an innovative distraction strategy that may transform the transport process into a playful experience.
This controlled study aims to compare three different operating room transport methods in preschool children undergoing elective day surgery: routine transport by walking with a parent, transport by stretcher, and transport using a battery-powered ride-on car. Preoperative anxiety and fear will be assessed using validated pediatric assessment tools before surgery. The study findings may provide evidence for the effectiveness of child-friendly transport methods in reducing preoperative anxiety and fear and support the implementation of non-pharmacological interventions in pediatric surgical care.
Study Type
Enrollment (Estimated)
Phase
- Not Applicable
Contacts and Locations
Study Contact
- Name: İlayda Tekelioğlu
- Phone Number: +905512559774
- Email: ilaydatekelioglu@gmail.com
Participation Criteria
Eligibility Criteria
Ages Eligible for Study
- Child
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
Description
Inclusion Criteria:
- Children aged 3-6 years (36-72 months)
- Scheduled to undergo elective surgery in the Department of Pediatric Surgery
- Able to communicate appropriately for their age
- Have sufficient cognitive development to respond to the study assessment scales
- Child and parent/legal guardian are able to speak and understand Turkish
- Written informed consent obtained from the child's legal guardian (and child assent obtained when appropriate)
Exclusion Criteria:
- Presence of visual, hearing, or communication impairments that could interfere with study participation
- Receipt of premedication requiring sedation due to an emergency condition
- Presence of severe pain that could affect anxiety assessment before surgery
- Inability to safely use the battery-powered ride-on car because of physical or mobility limitations before surgery
- Withdrawal of consent by the child's legal guardian or the child's unwillingness to continue participation
Study Plan
How is the study designed?
Design Details
- Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
- Allocation: Randomized
- Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
- Masking: Single
Arms and Interventions
Participant Group / Arm |
Intervention / Treatment |
|---|---|
|
Active Comparator: Routine Walking with Parent
Participants are transported to the operating room by walking with a parent according to the hospital's routine practice.
|
Participants are transported to the operating room by walking with a parent according to the hospital's routine practice.
|
|
Experimental: Stretcher Transport
Participants are transported to the operating room using a stretcher.
|
Participants are transported to the operating room using a stretcher.
|
|
Experimental: Battery-Powered Ride-on Car Transport
Participants are transported to the operating room using an age-appropriate battery-powered ride-on car accompanied by the researcher.
|
Participants are transported to the operating room using an age-appropriate battery-powered ride-on car accompanied by the researcher.
|
What is the study measuring?
Primary Outcome Measures
Outcome Measure |
Measure Description |
Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
|
Preoperative Anxiety Level
Time Frame: Immediately before transfer to the operating room (preoperative period).
|
Preoperative anxiety levels will be assessed using the Children's Anxiety Scale-State (CAS-S), a visual thermometer-like scale with scores ranging from 0 to 10. Higher scores indicate higher levels of state anxiety.
Scores will be compared among preschool children transported to the operating room by walking with a parent, stretcher, or battery-powered ride-on car.
|
Immediately before transfer to the operating room (preoperative period).
|
Secondary Outcome Measures
Outcome Measure |
Measure Description |
Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
|
Preoperative Fear Level
Time Frame: Immediately before transfer to the operating room (preoperative period)
|
Preoperative fear levels will be assessed using the Children's Fear Scale (CFS), which consists of five facial expressions and is scored from 0 to 4. A score of 0 indicates no fear, while a score of 4 indicates severe fear.
Higher scores indicate higher levels of fear.
Scores will be compared among preschool children transported to the operating room by walking with a parent, stretcher, or battery-powered ride-on car.
|
Immediately before transfer to the operating room (preoperative period)
|
Collaborators and Investigators
Sponsor
Investigators
- Principal Investigator: Nurdan Akçay Didişen, PhD, Ege University
Study record dates
Study Major Dates
Study Start (Estimated)
Primary Completion (Estimated)
Study Completion (Estimated)
Study Registration Dates
First Submitted
First Submitted That Met QC Criteria
First Posted (Actual)
Study Record Updates
Last Update Posted (Actual)
Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria
Last Verified
More Information
Terms related to this study
Keywords
Other Study ID Numbers
- 30333
Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)
Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?
Drug and device information, study documents
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product
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