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Active and Passive Distraction Techniques

Comparison of Active and Passive Distraction Techniques in Reducing Anxiety and Fear Levels During Inhalation Therapy in Children: A Randomized Controlled Study

Status
Completed
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT05242939
Enrollment
99
Registered
2022-02-16
Start date
2021-12-30
Completion date
2022-04-30
Last updated
2022-07-20

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Child, Only, Inhalation Therapy; Complications

Keywords

inhalation therapy, child, fear, cartoon, video game

Brief summary

Treatment methods with nebulizers are used in the treatment of many diseases such as asthma, bronchitis, bronchiolitis and cystic fibrosis in children. Because inhalation therapy with a face mask is scary for children, it can be difficult to provide this therapy effectively and safely. Adaptation of the child and family is important for the success of inhalation therapy. Distraction techniques are among the most commonly used cognitive/behavioral methods. It determines the effect of playing video games and watching cartoons methods, which are active distraction methods during inhalation therapy, on the level of fear and anxiety.

Detailed description

Hospitalization can be a threatening and stressful experience for children. Unfamiliar with the environment and medical procedures and unaware of the reasons for hospitalization can result in children's anger, uncertainty, anxiety and feelings of helplessness. Anxiety and fear are the most frequently reported among these negative reactions. In addition, high levels of anxiety and fear can be harmful to children's physiological and psychological health. Excessive anxiety and fear also inhibit children's effectiveness in coping with medical treatment and increase their negative emotions. It is thought that the levels of anxiety and fear in children will increase even more when they apply to the emergency services, especially in acute situations. Children who present to the emergency department with respiratory distress and cough can be given inhalation therapy as a result of physical examination and other tests. Today, inhalation therapy with a nebulizer is one of the most common and frequently used methods. Treatment methods with nebulizers are used in the treatment of many diseases such as asthma, bronchitis, bronchiolitis and cystic fibrosis in children. Because inhalation therapy with a face mask is scary for children, it can be difficult to provide this therapy effectively and safely. Adaptation of the child and family is important for the success of inhalation therapy. Evidence-based distraction methods can be used to provide effective inhalation and reduce fear of children. Recent research has focused on the use of non-pharmacological methods in the management of pain in children. Non-pharmacological methods used to manage pain and anxiety in children fall into three main groups; supportive methods, cognitive/behavioral methods, and physical methods. Distraction techniques are among the most commonly used cognitive/behavioral methods. It has been reported that distraction cards, watching cartoons, using kaleidoscope, and listening to music reduce pain, anxiety and fear levels. It is noteworthy that similar studies mostly focused on invasive applications. On the other hand, it is stated that studies on the effect of non-pharmacological methods in inhalation therapy, which is one of the common non-invasive procedures in children, are still limited. Another aim of this study is; This study determines the effect of playing video games and watching cartoons methods, which are active distraction methods during inhalation therapy, on the level of fear and anxiety.

Interventions

The child will be allowed to play the game they want to play throughout the entire procedure, starting 5 minutes before the inhalation therapy. Vital signs (pulse, respiration and SPo2), Child Fear Scale and Child Anxiety Scale-State Statement Scale (CAS-D) will be evaluated by the researcher and the child before, immediately and 5 minutes after the application and recorded in the intervention follow-up form by the researcher.

The cartoon is 5 min from the application. It will be started to be watched first and will continue until the application is finished. Vital signs (pulse, respiration and SPo2), Child Fear Scale and Child Anxiety Scale-State Statement Scale (CAS-D) will be evaluated by the researcher and the child before, immediately and 5 minutes after the application and recorded in the intervention follow-up form by the researcher.

Sponsors

Akdeniz University
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
SINGLE (Outcomes Assessor)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
4 Years to 7 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

1. Children aged 4-7 years 2. Children who have not undergone any painful procedures before the procedure 3. Parents with smartphones 4. Children and parents who can speak and understand Turkish 5. Children of parents who agreed to participate in the study and whose written consent form was obtained from them will be included in the study.

Exclusion criteria

1. Having a neurological disorder, 2. Congenital anomaly, 3. Growth and development retardation, 4. Hearing impaired, 5. Having visual impairment, 6. Having a chronic disease, 7. Using anti-epileptic drugs in the last 6 hours, 8. Children with suspected COVID-19 will not be included in the study.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Child Fear Scale (CFS) Measure1 yearThe Child Fear Scale is aimed at children between the ages of 4-10 and was used to evaluate the anxiety in children before and during the procedure. The CLS, which was translated into Turkish by Gerceker et al. (2018) and whose validity and reliability studies were conducted in Turkish, was developed by McKinley et al. The mean score of the CLS, which was translated into Turkish by five independent linguists, was 1.9 ± 0.1 (min=0, max=4). CLS can also be scored by parents and researchers. The CLS consists of five drawn facial expressions ranging from a neutral expression (0=no anxiety) to a frightened face (4=severe anxiety). The Child Fear Scale score will be recorded five minutes before the intervention, during intervention and five minutes after intervention
Child Anxiety Scale-State (CAS-S)1 yearThe Child Anxiety Scale-Status (CAS-S) scale, developed by Ersig et al. to measure the anxiety levels of children aged 4-10. Validity and reliability study was conducted for children aged 10 years, and the validity index was found to be 1.00 for the Child Anxiety Scale-State Scale.The ÇAS-S scale is similar to a thermometer with a light bulb at the bottom and horizontal lines at intervals that go up. On this scale for 4-10 year olds, children may say, Imagine all your anxious or angry feelings are on the bulb or the bottom of the thermometer or If you're a little worried or nervous, emotions may run a little higher on the thermometer. If you are very, very anxious or nervous, the emotions can run high. Put a line on the thermometer to show how worried or angry you are. In order to measure state anxiety (CAS-S), the child is asked to mark what he feels at the moment. The score can vary between 0 - 10.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Pulse oximetry1 yearPulse oximetry is a portable monitor that displays peak heart rate and oxygen saturation values together. Heartbeat will be checked with the Nellcor device attached to the baby's right index finger. Pulse oximetry score will be recorded five minutes before the intervention, during intervention and five minutes after intervention
Heartbeat1 yearHeartbeat will be checked with the Nellcor device attached to the baby's right index finger. Heratbeat score will be recorded five minutes before the intervention, during intervention and five minutes after intervention
Respiratory1 yearParticipant's respiration will be measured by the researcher. Respiratory score will be recorded five minutes before the intervention, during intervention and five minutes after intervention
Spo21 yearSpo2 will be checked with the Nellcor device attached to the baby's right index. Spo2 score will be recorded five minutes before the intervention, during intervention and five minutes after intervention

Countries

Turkey (Türkiye)

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026