The effect of serious game on the level of anxiety, fear, knowledge of hospitalized children and level of anxiety in their parents

This study is carried out to develop serious games for hospitalized children, to examine the effects of serious games on the anxiety, fear, knowledge of children and anxiety levels of their parents and to determine children's opinions and perceptions about the developed serious game. The study is randomized controlled trial that includes the pre-test and post-test measurements from experimental research designs. The sample of the research consisted of of 70 children and their parents in the 8-12 age group (intervention group=30, control group=30). Sociodemographic Data Collection Form, The Child Medical Fears Scale, Clinical İnformation Form, State-trait Anxiety İnventory for Children, State-trait Anxiety İnventory for Adults are used to collect the research data. As a result of the study, It has been found that serious gaming affects the state and trait anxiety levels, medical fear levels and clinical knowledge levels of hospitalized children aged 8-12 years. It was determined that the state anxiety of the parents of the children participating in the study is decreased, their trait anxiety is not affected. The use of serious games is recommended to reduce the anxiety and medical fears and to increase the clinical knowledge of children aged 8-12 who are hospitalized for the first time.