The effect of nursing interventions utilizing music therapy or sensory information on Chinese patients' anxiety prior to cardiac catheterization: a pilot study.
BACKGROUND
Unrelieved anxiety can produce an increase in sympathetic nervous system activity leading to an increase in cardiac workload. Nursing interventions using music therapy or sensory information among patients with coronary artery disease has resulted in anxiety reduction, though results in Chinese subjects has not previously been published.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the effects of using nursing interventions of music therapy or sensory information, on reducing anxiety and uncertainty, and improving negative mood among Chinese subjects immediately prior to cardiac catheterization.


METHODS
An experimental three-group repeated measures design for this pilot study was used. Forty-five hospitalized adults (15/group) undergoing cardiac catheterization were randomly assigned to either (1) a music therapy intervention, (2) a sensory information intervention or (3) treatment as usual (control). Anxiety, uncertainty and mood state were measured using self-reported questionnaires and physiological measures were made at baseline, post-intervention to determine their effect and post-cardiac catheterization to determine whether these interventions had any long-lasting effect.


RESULTS
The control group was found to be significantly older (P=0.001) than the two experimental groups. Older age was associated with lower anxiety scores (r=-0.31, P=0.04 at baseline; r=-0.30, P=0.04 post-intervention; r=-0.22, P=0.15 post-cardiac catheterization). After controlling for age, the use of music therapy or sensory information did not significantly reduce anxiety, improve mood state, reduce uncertainty, decrease heart or respiratory rate among subjects undergoing cardiac catheterization.


CONCLUSIONS
The non-significant result may have been affected by the small sample, and the social and cultural expectations regarding the public display of emotions among Chinese populations.
Taylor-Piliae
Ruth E
RE
Department of Physiological Nursing, School of Nursing, University of California, 2 Koret Way, Box 0610, San Francisco, CA 94143-0610, USA. rtaylor@itsa.ucsf.edu
Chair
Sek-Ying
SY
D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology*; D006328:Cardiac Catheterization / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006723:Hong Kong; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009147:Music Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D018401:Sample Size; D012677:Sensation; D016896:Treatment Outcome