Appendicitis (Diagnosis), Children, Fear, Preoperative Anxiety
Conditions
Brief summary
his study aims to evaluate the effects of cartoon viewing and mobile game playing on preoperative anxiety and fear levels in children aged 7-12 years who are hospitalized for appendicitis surgery. The study is designed as a randomized controlled trial with three groups: a cartoon group, a mobile game group, and a control group receiving routine care. Children in the intervention groups will watch a cartoon or play a mobile game for 10 minutes before surgery. Anxiety and fear levels will be measured using validated scales before and after the intervention. The findings of this study are expected to contribute to atraumatic care practices by providing simple and effective non-pharmacological methods to reduce preoperative anxiety and fear in children.
Detailed description
Preoperative anxiety and fear are common among children undergoing surgery and may negatively affect both perioperative outcomes and postoperative recovery. Non-pharmacological, atraumatic care interventions are recommended to minimize psychological distress in pediatric patients. Among these interventions, distraction techniques such as cartoon viewing and mobile game playing are widely used due to their practicality and accessibility. This randomized controlled trial aims to compare the effects of cartoon viewing and mobile game playing on preoperative anxiety and fear levels in children aged 7-12 years diagnosed with appendicitis and admitted to a pediatric surgery unit. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of three groups: a cartoon intervention group, a mobile game intervention group, or a control group receiving routine care. Children in the intervention groups will receive a 10-minute distraction intervention (cartoon viewing or mobile game playing) prior to surgery, while the control group will receive standard clinical care without any additional intervention. Anxiety and fear levels will be assessed before and after the intervention using validated measurement tools. This study is expected to provide evidence-based data on the effectiveness of simple, low-cost, and easily applicable non-pharmacological interventions in reducing preoperative anxiety and fear in children. The findings may contribute to the development of atraumatic care practices and improve pediatric surgical care outcomes.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALCartoon-Assisted Distraction (Şüko Ameliyat Oluyor)
Participants will watch the cartoon titled "Şüko is Having Surgery," which explains the surgical process in child-friendly language, on an iPad Mini 6 with headphones for 10 minutes.
BEHAVIORALMobile Game
Children will be asked to play a game of their choice for 10 minutes on a tablet from among games selected according to their age group and PEGI standards (Head Ball 2, Subway Surfers, and Magic Tiles 3).
Sponsors
Ankara City Hospital Bilkent
Ankara Yildirim Beyazıt University
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
7 Years to 12 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Being hospitalized in the Pediatric Surgery Service with a diagnosis of appendicitis. * Being between the ages of 7 and 12 years. * Voluntary consent/assent from both the child and their parents to participate in the study. * Absence of any visual, auditory, or cognitive problems that prevent communication. * Not having received any analgesics before the intervention.
Exclusion criteria
* Refusal to participate in the study voluntarily. * Having a condition that prevents communication due to vision, hearing, speech, or mental health status. * Being in an agitated state or unable to cooperate. * Having received analgesics due to pain before the study.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Preoperative Anxiety Level | Baseline (upon admission to the pediatric surgery inpatient unit prior to the intervention) and post-intervention (immediately before transfer to the operating room). | The Modified Yale Preoperative Anxiety Scale (m-YPAS) will be used. This scale provides an observational assessment across five categories (activity, emotional expressivity, state of arousal, vocalization, and use of parents). Total scores range from 5 to 22, with higher scores indicating higher levels of anxiety. |
| Children's Fear Level | Baseline (upon admission to the pediatric surgery inpatient unit prior to the intervention) and post-intervention (immediately before transfer to the operating room). | The Children's Fear Scale (CFS) will be used. This scale consists of five different facial expressions scored between 0 and 4. A score of 0 indicates "no anxiety/fear," whereas a score of 4 indicates "the highest level of fear." |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Heart Rate | Measured at two time points: baseline (pre-intervention) and immediately post-intervention. | The participants' heart rate will be measured to evaluate physiological stability. The values will be recorded in beats per minute (bpm). |
| Blood Pressure | Measured at two time points: baseline (pre-intervention) and immediately post-intervention. | The participants' systolic and diastolic blood pressure values will be measured. The values will be recorded in millimeters of mercury (mmHg). |
| Oxygen Saturation | Measured at two time points: baseline (pre-intervention) and immediately post-intervention. | The participants' peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2) levels will be monitored. The values will be recorded as a percentage (%). |
Countries
Turkey (Türkiye)
Contacts
CONTACTEda Emine Yetkin, MSc Student
Outcome results
None listed