Randomized Trial Evaluating the Effectiveness of Coloring on Decreasing Anxiety Among Parents in a Pediatric Surgical Waiting Area

Abstract

Anxiety is common among pediatric surgical patients and their parents. Numerous studies have examined interventions to reduce pediatric patients' anxiety; however, less is known about reducing parental anxiety. In other populations, producing art has been shown to significantly reduce anxiety. PurposeThis study aimed to determine whether parents' anxiety decreased after coloring while their child is in surgery. Design and MethodsA block randomized controlled trial was conducted with a convenience sample of 106 parents of children who were having a scheduled surgery. Each day of data collection was randomized where all parents enrolled that day would either color a pre-drawn art template for 30min or would simply wait in the waiting room for 30min. The primary outcome measure was anxiety, measured by the 6-item short form of the Spielberger State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). ResultsParents' average anxiety score decreased from the initial measurement to the measurement 30min later in both the control group and the intervention group. The reduction in anxiety was significantly greater for those parents who participated in coloring during their wait (p<0.0001). ConclusionsColoring is a creative, simple, low cost, and effective activity to reduce anxiety among parents in a pediatric surgical waiting area. Practice ImplicationsProviding coloring materials and information about the benefits of coloring in pediatric surgery waiting areas is an easy to implement intervention to reduce parental anxiety.