The effect of the liquid motion bubbler timer soothing sensory toy on children's fear and anxiety levels during blood sampling: a randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND

Blood sampling is one of the invasive procedures in a hospital setting that can cause fear, anxiety, and stress in children.

AIM: The study aimed to determine the effect of the Liquid Motion Bubbler Timer Soothing Sensory Toy on children's fear and anxiety levels during blood sampling.

METHODS

The study was conducted with a total of 90 children aged 4-6 years, divided into two groups (45 in the intervention group and 45 in the control group). The data were collected by face-to-face interviews using the "Questionnaire Form", "Children's Fear Scale", and "Children's State Anxiety". Children in the intervention group were made to play "Liquid Motion Bubbler Timer Soothing Sensory Toy" before and during the blood sampling procedure. The Dependent Groups T-Test, the Wilcoxon Test, the Independent Groups T-Test, and the Mann-Whitney U-Test were used in the analysis of the data.

RESULTS

The Liquid Motion Bubbler Timer Soothing Sensory Toy group had significantly lower fear and anxiety scores compared to the control group (p<0.05). The Liquid Motion Bubble Timer Soothing Sensory Toy has a significant effect on children's fear and anxiety.

CONCLUSION

The innovative "Liquid Motion Bubble Timer Soothing Sensory Toy" is effective against fear and anxiety in children, and can be used by healthcare professionals working in pediatric units during invasive procedures with children.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov (No: NCT06476418, Date: 03/05/2024, https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06476418?locStr=Erzurum,%20T%C3%BCrkiye&country=T%C3%BCrkiye&state=Erzurum&city=Erzurum&viewType=Card&cond=child&rank=17).