A randomized controlled study: The effect of preprocedurals ınformative animation watch about echocardiography and ıntraprocedural kaleidoscope watch on anxiety in children

Aim: This study was conducted as a randomized controlled study to investigate the effect of procedural cartoons displayed before echocardiography and kaleidoscope display during the procedure on anxiety in children aged 5–12 years. Methods: The study was completed with 164 children aged 5–12 years who were admitted for echocardiography. The study was conducted with four groups: cartoons group, kaleidoscope group, cartoons + kaleidoscope group, and control group. Data were collected using a follow-up form and the Children's Fear Scale. Results: The results showed that the cartoons, kaleidoscope, and cartoons + kaleidoscope groups had lower anxiety scores during the procedure than during the preprocedural period (p <.001). In the control group, there was no significant difference between anxiety scores before the procedure and during the procedure (p >.05). Conclusion: The present study concluded that cartoon display for preparing children aged 5–12 years or distracting them during the procedure using a kaleidoscope was effective in reducing their anxiety.