The Effect of Music on Pain and Anxiety During Hysterosalpingography: A Randomised Controlled Trial

Hysterosalpingography (HSG) is a diagnostic radiological procedure used widely to investigate infertility as an invasive, uncomfortable, and painful procedure. The purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of music played to women during Hysterosalpingography on pain and anxiety.

Study design: The study had a randomized-controlled double-blind design. Setting and Sample: The population of the study consisted of women who applied to the Gynecology outpatient clinic of Atatürk University Health Study and Application Center between 01.06.2023 and 01.11.2023 to undergo Hysterosalpingography. HSG scans are performed in the Radiology Unit of the hospital. The sample number of the study was calculated by using the G*Power Program (version 3.1.9.6). The number of samples for each group was calculated as 35 in the calculation, with a large effect size (d = 0.80), 5% margin of error (α = 0.05), and 95% power (1-β = 0.80). Considering the possibility of data losses, the number of samples was increased by 10 for each group and it was planned to include 45 participants in each group (a total of 90 people in the sample). A total of 45 women were assigned to the Experimental Group and 45 women to the Control Group with the Simple Randomization Technique. Five people from the Control Group (they did not fill out the post-test data collection tool) and five people from the Experimental Group (three people left at their own request, and two people were excluded because they used analgesics) were excluded from the study during the study period. The study was completed with 80 women (40 in the Experimental Group and 40 in the Control Group).

Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria Inclusion criteria Being over 18 years of age, being at least a primary school graduate, agreeing to participate in the study voluntarily, having no active infections, no vaginal bleeding on the day of the procedure, not having had an HSG before, not receiving sedation, not having a hearing problem, and not having any obstacle to wearing headphones (for the Experimental Group), not taking any medications that might affect blood pressure and pulse rate (e.g., Digoxin, Adrenaline), and not having a diagnosed psychiatric disease.

Exclusion Criteria Using analgesics before or after the procedure, using antidepressants or sedative medications, being allergic to radio-opaque material, not completing the procedure, not completing one of the pre-test or post-test forms, filling in incomplete data, and leaving the study voluntarily.

Data Collection and Procedure Data Collection The data of the study were collected with the face-to-face interview technique between 01.06.2023 and 01.11.2023 by a neutral researcher (a nurse) who was not familiar with the groups trained by the researcher. The women participating in the study were interviewed at the clinic where they applied for the procedure, the purpose and stages of the study were explained, and they were told that they could withdraw at any stage of the study. Before starting to collect the study data, women were informed about the study, and their consent was obtained. It took an average of 5-10 minutes for each patient to fill out the forms.