Storytelling intervention for reducing anxiety among hospitalized preschool children
DOI: https://doi.org/10.56922/mhc.v5i4.3617
Anxiety Hospitalization Preschool children Storytelling
Abstract
Background: Hospitalization is a stressful experience for preschool children and frequently induces anxiety due to unfamiliar environments, medical procedures, and separation from parents, potentially affecting treatment cooperation and recovery.
Purpose: To examine changes in anxiety levels among hospitalized preschool children following a storytelling intervention.
Method: A quantitative study employing a pre-experimental one-group pretest–posttest design was conducted among 30 hospitalized preschool children recruited using total sampling. Participants received an individual 10-minute storytelling education session using an age-appropriate illustrated storybook. Anxiety levels were assessed before and after the intervention using a validated hospitalization anxiety questionnaire for preschool children. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05.
Results: Anxiety scores were significantly lower after the storytelling intervention than before the intervention (Z = −4.806, p < 0.001). The proportion of children with severe anxiety decreased from 20.0% before the intervention to 0% after the intervention, while the proportion with mild anxiety increased from 20.0% to 66.7%.
Conclusion: Anxiety scores decreased significantly following the storytelling intervention among hospitalized preschool children. However, because this study used a one-group pretest–posttest design without a control group, the findings should be interpreted cautiously, and further controlled studies are needed to confirm the effectiveness of storytelling in reducing hospitalization-related anxiety.
Keywords: Anxiety; Hospitalization; Preschool children; Storytelling.
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