Speaker

Presentation Info

Title

Evaluating the Effectiveness of an Educational Health Game on the Anxiety of Children Undergoing Anesthesia – a Randomized Controlled Trial

Summary

Children may experience anxiety before undergoing a procedure with anesthesia. We have developed an educational health game to prepare children for anesthesia. The aim of this randomized controlled study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the educational health game intervention from the perspective of children’s anxiety. The data is collected from 150 children (4-8 years old) undergoing anesthesia and their parents; 75 from Finland and 75 from Iceland. Participants are randomly assigned to three groups for the preparation for the anesthesia: 1) the educational mobile game intervention, 2) educational material on a website intervention and 3) the usual care, information from the health personnel. Data collection is performed with questionnaires at baseline (Child Behaviour Questionnaire (CBQ), State-trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Background information) and three times after the intervention: post 1 (before the operation in the waiting room) the mYPAS-Short Form (mYPAS-SF), STAI), post 2 (before the induction of anesthesia in the operating room) (mYPAS-SF) and post 3 (questionnaire 2-3 after the operation). Child's anxiety is assessed by the nurse in the hospital (mYPAS-SF). The results of this ongoing randomized controlled trial can indicate whether the developed game is effective in reducing children's anxiety before anesthesia. Preliminary results especially in relation to children’s anxiety will be presented at the conference. If the study demonstrates that the developed game is an effective intervention, it can be utilized in the future to prepare children for procedures under anesthesia. Both parents and nurses could use the game to prepare children for anesthesia.

Keynote

Presentation

GFHEU Year

2026