Effect of Preoperative Play Interventions on Post Surgery Anxiety

Objective: many studies have shown that the level of post operative distress and anxiety in children is associated with the amount of anxiety during the preoperative period. in this study, we compared the effect of pre-operationalattending in a playroom and using play activities on the level of anxietyincrement after surgery in an intervention and a control group of iranianchildren.method: in a clinical trial, 75 children aged 5 to 12 enrolled in the interventionand the control group. the anxiety symptoms were assessed using state-traitanxiety inventory for children, revised children’s manifest anxiety scale, andyale modified pre operative anxiety scale. the mean differences of pre andpost operative anxiety scores were calculated and compared using the ancova statistical method.results: the two groups had similar demographic characteristics except forage which was higher in the control group. the baseline anxiety score waslower in the intervention compare to the control group and was statisticallysignificant. there was a significant reduction in the trend of anxiety incrementafter surgery in the intervention group in comparison to the control group.conclusion: attending in playrooms and using play activities may reduce thetrend of increment in the anxiety level induced by surgical procedures