title: Distraction intervention for preschoolers undergoing intramuscular injections and subcutaneous port access.
abstract: This study evaluated a distraction intervention designed to reduce the distress of preschool children undergoing repeated chemotherapy injections. Twenty-nine children aged 2-5 years were randomly assigned either to distraction by a developmentally appropriate electronic toy or to a wait-list control. Children who received the distraction intervention demonstrated lower overt behavioral distress and were rated by parents and nurses as less anxious than children in the control condition. The improvements were maintained over the 8-week intervention. The results suggest that a developmentally appropriate, multisensory, variable-distracting activity that requires active cognitive processing and active motor responses may be a viable cost-effective alternative to more time-intensive parent-training programs for preschool-age children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore 21250, USA. dahlquis@umbc.edu
authors.forename: Lynnda M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Dahlquist
authors.forename: Jennifer Shroff
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Pendley
authors.forename: Donna S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Landthrip
authors.forename: Cheri L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: C Philip
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Steuber
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D002408:Catheters, Indwelling; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents