The effect of music-moving toys on fear and anxiety in children during venipunture in the emergency department

This study was implemented as a randomized controlled experimental study for the purpose of determining the impact of music-moving toys used as a distraction method to prepare children in the age range of 4-6 years to the procedure of establishing intravascular access on fear and anxiety experienced by children. While the target population of the study consisted of children in the age range of 4-6 years who had applied to the Pediatric Emergency Service of Tokat Public Hospital for treatment and needed the procedure of establishing vascular access between July 15th, 2018- November 15th, 2018; The sample consisted of 60 children (control: 30, experimental: 30) who met the case selection criteria. Information Form, Child Fear Scale (CFS) and Child Anxiety Scale-State (CAS-S) Form were used as data collection tools. In addition, the children's fear and anxiety scores before, during and after the procedure, physiological parameters (pulse, respiration and oxygen saturation (SpO2 values)) and crying durations were recorded. The children's fear levels were also assessed by their parents and the researcher with CFS form. The procedure of establishing vascular access was applied to the children in the experimental group in company with music-moving toys. The data were assessed using; mean, standard deviation, frequency and percentage distribution, chi-square test for normally distributed data, independent samples t-test, variance analysis, Mann-Whitney U test for non-normally distributed data, Kruskal-Wallis test, Friedman test with a non-parametric equivalent of single factoral variance analysis for repetitive measurements, Wilcoxon test for pairwise comparisons, the intra-class correlation analysis to assess observer consistency and SPSS 20.0 package software. As a result of the study, comparing the fear and anxiety scores of the children in the study and control groups during the procedure of establishing vascular access; it was determined that there was no statistically significant difference between them (p˃0,05). In addition, there was no statistically significant difference between the study and control groups in terms of the children's physiological parameters (pulse, oxygen saturation) and crying durations during the procedure, either (p>0,05) As a consequence; it was found that music-moving toys which were used as a distraction method for reducing children's fear and anxiety during the procedure of establishing vascular access were not effective. It is recommended that future studies focus on supporting the effectiveness of music-moving toys in different painful and stressful conditions and in different age groups with evidence-based researches and making comparisons with different distraction methods. Keywords: Child, Fear, Anxiety, Establishing intravascular access, Distraction, Music-moving toys