The effect of the experience of playing games with toys composed of materials for invasive attempt on invasive attempt-induced pain among children with cancer

Objective: The purpose of this study is to assess the effect of playing games with toys composed of materials used for invasive interventions on invasive intervention-induced pain among children with cancer. Material and Method: The study was conducted as a real trial model with pretest-posttest control group. The population of the study consisted of children in the age group of 3-6 years, who were diagnosed with cancer and hospitalized at the Pediatric Oncology clinic of Inonu University, Turgut Ozal Medical Center. The sample of the study consisted of 110 patients including 55 patients in the experimental group and 55 patients in the control group, who were determined from this population through the power analysis and selected through random sampling method. The data were collected by the researcher using the face-to-face interview technique with the patients receiving treatment in the pediatric oncology clinic. The data were collected between May 2016 and November 2017 and Introductory Questionnaire and the Wong-Baker Pain Scale were used for obtaining the data. The researcher made toys composed of materials used for invasive attempt and played games with the patients in the experimental group. No intervention was carried out for the patients in the control group. Numbers, percentages, mean, chi-square, dependent samples t test, and independent samples t test were used to analyze the data. Results: Based on data of the post test measurement, it was found that the total mean score of Wong-Baker Pain Scale was 0.43±0.66 in the experimental group and 3.34±0.77 in the control group. It was determined that the difference between the mean scores of the groups was statistically significant (p=0.000). Conclusion: It was found that the experience of playing games with toys composed of materials used for invasive attempts decreased the pain induced by invasive intervention among children with cancer. Keywords: Child, Pain, Cancer, Game, Invasive Attempt