A non-randomized [corrected] controlled trial of the active music engagement (AME) intervention on children with cancer.
BACKGROUND
Coping theorists argue that environmental factors affect how children perceive and respond to stressful events such as cancer. However, few studies have investigated how particular interventions can change coping behaviors. The active music engagement (AME) intervention was designed to counter stressful qualities of the in-patient hospital environment by introducing three forms of environmental support.


METHODS
The purpose of this multi-site randomized controlled trial was to determine the efficacy of the AME intervention on three coping-related behaviors (i.e. positive facial affect, active engagement, and initiation). Eighty-three participants, ages 4-7, were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: AME (n = 27), music listening (ML; n = 28), or audio storybooks (ASB; n = 28). Conditions were videotaped to facilitate behavioral data collection using time-sampling procedures.


RESULTS
After adjusting for baseline differences, repeated measure analyses indicated that AME participants had a significantly higher frequency of coping-related behaviors compared with ML or ASB. Positive facial affect and active engagement were significantly higher during AME compared with ML and ASB (p<0.0001). Initiation was significantly higher during AME than ASB (p<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
This study supports the use of the AME intervention to encourage coping-related behaviors in hospitalized children aged 4-7 receiving cancer treatment.
Robb
Sheri L
SL
Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN, USA. shrobb@iupui.edu
Clair
Alicia A
AA
Watanabe
Masayo
M
Monahan
Patrick O
PO
Azzouz
Faouzi
F
Stouffer
Janice W
JW
Ebberts
Allison
A
Darsie
Emily
E
Whitmer
Courtney
C
Walker
Joey
J
Nelson
Kirsten
K
Hanson-Abromeit
Deanna
D
Lane
Deforia
D
Hannan
Ann
A
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000339:Affect; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009147:Music Therapy; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D012803:Sick Role; D012919:Social Behavior; D012931:Social Environment; D016896:Treatment Outcome