The effectiveness of the care program is based on the comfort theory on the level of anxiety in children candidates for endoscopy referred to the endoscopy center of Hajar Shahrekord Hospital affiliated Shahrekord university of medical sciences

Endoscopy is an invasive diagnosis and treatment procedure that can create anxiety in children. The use of nursing theories as a comprehensive nursing care model has a significant role in improving people's health. This study aims to examine the effects of the comfort- theory-based care model on the anxiety level of children undergoing endoscopy at the endoscopy center of Hajar Hospital in Shahrekord, Iran.

This clinical trial was conducted with on 56 children referred to the endoscopy center of Hajar Hospital in Shahrekord, in 2022. Sampling was done by convenience method among eligible children, who were later divided into two intervention and control groups by random allocation method. The intervention group received a care program based on comfort theory two hours before the start of endoscopy. Data collection tools included a demographic information form and the modified Yale anxiety scale; and the statistical analysis were performed through SPSS-22 software, using independent t-test, paired t-test, chi-square test and Fisher's exact test at a significance level of p<0.05.

Mean score of anxiety before the intervention was 42.04±11.47 in the intervention and 44.03±8.86 in the control group, which showed no statistically significant difference (p=0.470). But after the intervention, the mean score of anxiety increased to 24.11.73 in the intervention group and 49.88±11.98 in the control group, which showed a statistically significant difference (p=0.009).

According to the results, using a care program based on comfort theory was effective in reducing the anxiety of children undergoing endoscopy; so, this care model is recommended to be implemented for children undergoing invasive procedures.