Acupressure on preoperative anxiety in school aged children

Introduction: The major of children before surgery experience significant anxiety in the preoperative period. The aim of this study is to investigate effect of acupressure in reducing preoperative anxiety in school age children
Methods: The sample was included of 80 subjects (aged 9-12 years) who had to undergo elective surgery. Children were randomly assigned to: the acupressure group (N = 40); Control group (N = 40). Anxiety in the preoperative period was measured by using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Acupressure carried out by acupressure-bead which caused the continuous pressure of 70 g/cm2. In the experimental group the bead is stuck to the Ying Tang point (eyebrows mid-point) and in the sham group it is stuck to the sham point outside the eyebrows line. Half an hour later, Anxiety Inventory for Children was filled out by the children again.
Results
The results revealed, significant difference among the anxiety baseline values, and 30 min after pressure application on the shame point (P < 0.007)
Conclusion
Further research is needed in decision making about apply the acupressure as an effective non-pharmacological substitutive method for the decrease of preoperative anxiety in children.
Keywords
Acupressure, Preoperative Anxiety, school aged children