Effect of playing on anxiety of hospitalized school age children

Anxiety is one of the most common reactions to stressors and ‎hospitalized children confront it and playing is a priority care to reduce stress.‎

The present study was conducted to determine the effect of playing on the ‎level of anxiety in school- age children hospitalized in educational pediatric centers ‎in Rasht city.‎

This is a quasi-experimental study conducted on ‎‏110‏‎ hospitalized school- ‎age children. These children were randomized into two groups according to their ‎characteristics and number of room they were hospitalized.‎ For data collection, two questionnaires were used which included demographic ‎information and espielberger`s anxiety scale and also a vital sign check list was used. ‎The methodology included that after completing the questionnaires send to play ‎room and played for half an hour. But for control group no intervention was done. ‎After half an hour play, the experiment group returned to their beds in their rooms ‎and the anxiety questionnaire and check list were done again.‎

Findings indicated that play significantly decreased anxiety level in ‎hospitalized children and T-test showed significant difference between the ‎experiment and control group (p<‎‏0.0001‏‎).‎

According to the above findings, it can be said that play is a proper ‎method of coping with anxiety, physical and mental health, and confrontating the ‎difficulty of illness and hospitalization.‎