Improving Pediatric Radiography Patient Stress, Mood, and Parental Satisfaction Through Positive Environmental Distractions: A Randomized Control Trial

Abstract

To evaluate how a positive environmental distraction intervention impacted pediatric radiography patient behavioral stress-responses, mood states, and parental satisfaction. Behavioral observation, rating scales, surveys on 182 pediatric patients and their parents randomly assigned to three positive distraction levels (minimum, light, light and animation). Under interventional conditions, patients exhibited less low-stress coping behaviors (ps<0.001-0.007) and more verbal behaviors indicating positive affect (p=0.003); parents more favorably rated environmental pleasantness (ps<0.001), sense of environmental control (ps=0.002), and willingness to return and recommend the facility (ps=0.001-0.005). The intervention improved pediatric radiography experience but needs further investigation in more stressful settings.