NCT07400874

Use of Acupressure, Aromatherapy, and Virtual Reality for Children in During Blood Collection Procedures

The Effects of Acupressure, Aromatherapy, and Virtual Reality on Pain, Fear, and Anxiety in Children During Blood Sampling Procedures

• Status: Not Yet Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 120 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Artvin Coruh University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 5 Years – 10 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

This study aims to evaluate the effects of acupressure, music listening, and virtual reality applications, which appeal to the senses of touch, hearing, and sight during blood sampling, on pain, fear, and anxiety levels in children.

Detailed description

Two hundred volunteer children aged 5-10 coming for blood collection will be randomly divided into four groups: acupressure, virtual reality, Listening music and control group. Children will be assessed before, during, and after the procedure. Pain related to blood collection will be assessed with the Wong-Baker Faces Pain Scale, fear will be assessed with the Child Fear Scale and anxiety will be assessed with the Child Anxiety Scale - State. In addition, children's demographic data will be recorded in the Information Form.

Conditions

• Blood Collection

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Acupressure	Acupressure will be administered by a researcher who has completed the Acupressure application course at Ankara Başkent Personal Training Institutions and received their certificate. To determine the child's ability to assess the scale, they will be asked, "Is 8 bigger than 4?". Before the acupressure application, the child's area will be prepared in the blood collection room. Hands will be washed and warmed by rubbing before the acupressure application. Pressure will be applied for 1.5 minutes to point 4 of the large intestine (LI4), located on the radial side of the 2nd metacarpal bone, at the junction of the 1st and 2nd metacarpal bones, on the back of the hand. Then, the blood collection nurse will begin the blood collection procedure from the same arm. Pressure will continue for another 1.5 minutes while the blood collection procedure continues. In total, pressure will be applied to point LI4 for 3 minutes: 1.5 minutes before and 1.5 minutes during the procedure.
OTHER	Listening Music	Before the procedure, children will be given brief and understandable information, and if possible, calming and age-appropriate music will be chosen according to their musical preferences. The music will start 1-2 minutes before the procedure begins and continue through headphones or speakers during blood collection to distract the child's attention from the needle; it will also be played for another 1-2 minutes afterward to help the child relax and complete the procedure as a positive experience. During this process, the children's pain, fear, and anxiety levels will be measured.
OTHER	Virtual Reality	In this study, children will be shown cartoons via virtual reality glasses during blood collection. For both boys and girls, the content options will be the 360-degree virtual reality cartoon "Ice Age," chosen by experts in child development and psychology to be age and gender-appropriate. The suitability of "Ice Age" for children was evaluated by five academics specializing in child health, and all experts deemed it appropriate. Children will begin watching the cartoon via VR approximately 3 minutes before blood collection and will continue watching until the procedure is complete.

Timeline

• Start date: 2026-03-01
• Primary completion: 2026-06-01
• Completion: 2026-10-01
• First posted: 2026-02-10
• Last updated: 2026-02-10