Comparison of the Effect of playing and watching the Cartoon on Anxiety before Anesthesia in 3-6 Years Old Children Candidate for Tonsillectomy

Introduction: Anxiety before surgery can have a different effect on children and their families and affect the treatment process. Previous studies have shown that the use of non-medical techniques (watching cartoons and playing) has a beneficial effect on children's anxiety in comparison with pharmacological methods. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the effect of two methods of playing and watching cartoons on reduction of child anxiety immediately before the onset of anesthesia. Methods: A semi-experimental study was conducted on three groups (cartoon watching, playing and control) in 90 children aged 3 to 6 years old who were candidates for Tansilectomy (30 patients each) at Vali-e-Asr Hospital in Birjand during the winter of 2013. The data were analyzed by Yale Anxiety Inventory before and after the intervention and analyzed by t-test, t-test, Pearson correlation coefficient, Tukey and analysis of variance by descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: The mean of anxiety of the subjects before intervention was not significant in different groups (P = 0.7) but after intervention (immediately before anesthesia), it was significant (P = 0.02). The mean of anxiety before and after intervention in the play group was P = 0.03, Cartoon, P = 0.0001 and control P = 0.1 respectively. Tukey's post hoc test for the difference between the groups indicated that the mean of anxiety was significantly lower in the cartoon group (P <0.001). Conclusions: Playing and watching cartoons plays an effective role in controlling the anxiety of children before anesthesia. Therefore, it is recommended that the surgical and operating rooms of the children be provided with the conditions and facilities necessary for the implementation of these procedures.