Evaluating Effectiveness of Different Educational Methods on the Anxiety of Children Undergoing Anaesthesia - a Randomized Controlled Trial

This study is a randomized controlled trial. This study will evaluate the effectiveness of an educational health game intervention for children undergoing anesthesia from the perspective of children's anxiety. The data will be collected from children (4-8 years old) and their parent or guardian at four different time points: the baseline, post1, post-2 and post 3-intervention.

The sample size was calculated by statistician using power calculations. According to the calculations, the targeted sample size is in total 150 children (50 per each arm) in Finland and Iceland.

Participants are recruited from daycare surgery wards in university hospitals or hospitals where children undergo various procedures under anesthesia. The recruitment will be agreed separately with the hospital and hospital workers.

Data will be collected in four different time points.

1. Before the intervention, baseline. Questionnaires for parent: the child's temperament is measured with Child Behaviour Questionnaire (CBQ) (Rothbart et al 2001), the anxiety of parent is measured with the State-trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI, trait part) (Spielberger, 1983) and background information of the child and parents.
2. After the baseline questionnaires children are randomized to three groups. Group A: plays an educational mobile game, Group B: similar educational material on a website than in the health game, and Group C: the usual care (receives information from the health personnel) for preparation for the anesthesia.
3. At the hospital. Questionnaire for parent: Parents answers the anxiety of parent (STAI, state part). Nurse observes child's anxiety in hospital using The Modified Yale Preoperative Anxiety Scale, mYPAS short form, (mYPAS-SF) (Jenkins et al. 2014) in the waiting room before the anesthesia (post 1) while the child is prepared for anesthesia and right before the induction of anesthesia (post 2). Nurse 2 also observes weather the child is particularly crying or calm when waking up. The nurse will collect information from the child's medical records for the study, such as the procedure the child has had and the reason for the procedure, premedication etc.
4. After the anesthesia (post 3) Questionnaire for parent: 2-4 days after the operation questions regarding the experience of anesthesia.