Effects of Cartoons and Mobile Games on Preoperative Anxiety and Fear in Children With Appendicitis: An RCT
Trial statusRecruiting
Trial phaseNot applicable
Trial typeInterventional
Biological sexAll
Age7-12
SponsorAnkara City Hospital Bilkent
About this trial
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.
Eligibility criteria
This trial does not accept healthy volunteersQualifiers
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.
Disqualifiers
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.
Trial design
Design model
Parallel
Treatments tested in this trial
Cartoon-Assisted Distraction (Şüko Ameliyat Oluyor)
BehavioralParticipants 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.
Mobile Game
BehavioralChildren 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).
Treatment groups
69 Participants
are divided into 3 treatment groupsGroup A: Control GroupNo intervention 0 interventions
Group B: Cartoon GroupExperimental treatment 1 intervention
Group C: Mobile Game GroupExperimental treatment 1 intervention
Trial outcomes
Primary outcomes
1
Preoperative Anxiety Level
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.
Time frame
Baseline (upon admission to the pediatric surgery inpatient unit prior to the intervention) and post-intervention (immediately before transfer to the operating room).2
Children's Fear Level
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."
Time frame
Baseline (upon admission to the pediatric surgery inpatient unit prior to the intervention) and post-intervention (immediately before transfer to the operating room).Secondary outcomes
1
Heart Rate
The participants' heart rate will be measured to evaluate physiological stability. The values will be recorded in beats per minute (bpm).
Time frame
Measured at two time points: baseline (pre-intervention) and immediately post-intervention.2
Blood Pressure
The participants' systolic and diastolic blood pressure values will be measured. The values will be recorded in millimeters of mercury (mmHg).
Time frame
Measured at two time points: baseline (pre-intervention) and immediately post-intervention.3
Oxygen Saturation
The participants' peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2) levels will be monitored. The values will be recorded as a percentage (%).
Time frame
Measured at two time points: baseline (pre-intervention) and immediately post-intervention.Sponsors and contacts
Click on the lead sponsor to view all of their trials.
Ankara City Hospital Bilkent
Lead sponsor
Ankara Yildirim Beyazıt University
Collaborator
Source ClinicalTrials.gov