Ankara Bilkent City Hospital
Ankara, Turkey (Türkiye)
Location status: Recruiting
Location contact
Pediatric Surgery Service (4A and 4B Pediatric Surgery Service
CONTACT
Recruiting
NCT Number: NCT07640230
Effects of Cartoons and Mobile Games on Preoperative Anxiety and Fear in Children With Appendicitis: An RCT
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.
Recruiting
Interested in participating?
Request InfoKey information
Conditions
Age range
7 year–12 year
Sex eligibility
All sexes
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Not applicable
Primary location
About this study
Preoperative anxiety and fear are common among children undergoing surgery and may negatively affect both perioperative outcomes and postoperative recovery. Non-pharmacological, atraumatic care interventions are recommended to minimize psychological distress in pediatric patients. Among these interventions, distraction techniques such as cartoon viewing and mobile game playing are widely used due to their practicality and accessibility.
This randomized controlled trial aims to compare the effects of cartoon viewing and mobile game playing on preoperative anxiety and fear levels in children aged 7-12 years diagnosed with appendicitis and admitted to a pediatric surgery unit. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of three groups: a cartoon intervention group, a mobile game intervention group, or a control group receiving routine care.
Children in the intervention groups will receive a 10-minute distraction intervention (cartoon viewing or mobile game playing) prior to surgery, while the control group will receive standard clinical care without any additional intervention. Anxiety and fear levels will be assessed before and after the intervention using validated measurement tools.
This study is expected to provide evidence-based data on the effectiveness of simple, low-cost, and easily applicable non-pharmacological interventions in reducing preoperative anxiety and fear in children. The findings may contribute to the development of atraumatic care practices and improve pediatric surgical care outcomes.
Who can participate
Healthy volunteers accepted: No
Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.
Inclusion criteria
- 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.
- Not having received any analgesics before the intervention.
Exclusion criteria
- 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.
Treatment and study plan
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).
Primary outcomes
-
Preoperative Anxiety Level
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).
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.
-
Children's Fear Level
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).
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."
Secondary outcomes
-
Heart Rate
Time frame: Measured at two time points: baseline (pre-intervention) and immediately post-intervention.
The participants' heart rate will be measured to evaluate physiological stability. The values will be recorded in beats per minute (bpm).
-
Blood Pressure
Time frame: Measured at two time points: baseline (pre-intervention) and immediately post-intervention.
The participants' systolic and diastolic blood pressure values will be measured. The values will be recorded in millimeters of mercury (mmHg).
-
Oxygen Saturation
Time frame: Measured at two time points: baseline (pre-intervention) and immediately post-intervention.
The participants' peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2) levels will be monitored. The values will be recorded as a percentage (%).
Study contacts
Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.
Sponsors and collaborators
Lead sponsor
Ankara City Hospital Bilkent
Other
Collaborators
- Ankara Yildirim Beyazıt University
Registry information
Official study title
Apandisit Tanısı Ile Cerrahi Servise Yatırılan Çocuklarda Preoperatif Kaygı ve Korkunun Azaltılmasında Çizgi Film ve Mobil Oyunların Etkisi: Randomize Kontrollü Bir Araştırma
Important dates
- Study start
- 2025
- Primary completion
- 2026
- Study completion
- 2026
- First posted
- Jun 10, 2026
- Registry last updated
- Jun 10, 2026
OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.
View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.
Related clinical trials
Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.
Not Yet Recruiting
Virtual Reality for Pediatric Perioperative Preparation
NCT07650695
Anxiety Disorders, Fear
View Trial Details
Not Yet Recruiting
The Effect of a Drama-Based Coloring Storybook on Children's Fear, Anxiety, and Pain Management in the Perioperative Process: "Alican's Brave Journey"
NCT07414628
Anxiety Disorders, Fear
View Trial Details
Completed
The Effect of Using Virtual Reality Glasses on Surgical Fear and Anxiety
NCT06165861
Fear, Nurse
Edirne, Turkey (Türkiye)
View Trial Details
Recruiting
Preoperative Anxiety and One-year Patient-reported Outcomes in Orthopedic Surgery Patients Receiving Enhanced Recovery After Surgery or Conventional Care
NCT07706244
Orthopedic Surgery, Patient Reported Outcome (PRO)
Hualien City, Hualien County, Taiwan
View Trial Details