The Effect of Supporting the Incision Site With Toys During Mobilization in Children Aged 4-10 Years Undergoing Abdominal Surgery

NCT07428421 | Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: 2026/03
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 74
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Aim: The aim of this study is to determine the effect of supporting the wound area with a toy during mobilization on pain and fear in children undergoing abdominal surgery. Method: The study was a randomised controlled trial. The study sample consisted of 74 children (Toy: 37, control: 37) who has undergone abdominal surgery between March 2026 and December 2026 at the Mersin University Hospital Pediatric surgery department. The data collection tools used will be the Children Information Form, Wong Baker Pain Scale , Fear scale. In the intervention group, toy will be used after surgery, while the control group will receive routine care. The chils' pain and fear levels will be assessed by the nurse before and after the procedure.

Conditions

Child

Keywords

Abdominal Surgery; pediatric; nursing; toy

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (3)

• Children Information Form

  The form, prepared in line with the literature, consists of 24 questions regarding the sociodemographic characteristics of children. A 3-point Likert-type observation form created by the researcher will be used in this form to evaluate children's participation in the mobilization process. Scoring is categorized as follows: '3: Willing/Active Participation', '2: Reluctant/Variable Participation', and '1: Unwilling/Resistant'. The researcher observed the child's verbal and behavioral responses during mobilization preparation and the walk and assigned the relevant score.

  1 day

• Wong-Baker Pain Scale

  Developed in 1981 by Donna Wong and Connie Morain Baker to assess children's pain levels, it was revised in 1983. There are six facial expressions scored from zero to ten. The Wong-Baker Scale features faces that show increasing pain intensity from zero to six, moving from left to right.

  1 day

• Fear Scale

  Thurillet et al. (2022) developed this scale to assess children's fears based on self-reports from children aged 4-12. The Turkish validity and reliability study was conducted by Tavşan et al. (2024). The scale consists of six facial expressions. The scale rates fear on a scale ranging from 0 to 10 (rated incrementally in twos), consistent with pain rating scales. The first facial expression indicates no fear, while fear increases as one moves from right to left, with the sixth facial expression indicating the highest level of fear. A statistically significant, very high positive correlation was found between the Fear Scale and the Children's Fear Scale (r=0.973; p\<0.001). The high correlation value between the two forms indicates that the children's form is valid. The scale's content validity index and item content validity index values were found to be 0.98. A very good level of statistically significant agreement was found between the Fear Scale and the Children's Fear Scale (Kappa

  1 day

Study Arms (2)

Toy Group

EXPERIMENTAL

The incision sites of children in this group will be supported with a plush toy immediately before the procedure begins and will continue to be supported throughout mobilization. When the patient is transferred to the hospital bed, the support with the plush toy will be discontinued.

Other: Toy Group

Control Group

NO INTERVENTION

Children in this group will receive parental support as part of the clinic's routine.

Interventions

Toy Group OTHER

Children in this group will be supported with a plush toy immediately before the incision sites are processed and will continue to be supported throughout mobilization. When the child is transferred to the hospital bed, the support with the plush toy will be discontinued. Children in this group will receive parental support as part of the clinic's routine.

Toy Group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 4 Years - 10 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17)

You may qualify if:

• Aged between 4 and 10 years
• Having undergone abdominal surgery
• Having undergone surgery under general anesthesia
• Having received a single dose of analgesic (paracetamol) after surgery
• Having undergone initial mobilization after surgery
• Volunteering to participate in the study

You may not qualify if:

• Previous surgical intervention
• Major surgery
• Chronic illness
• The child has visual, hearing, and mental disabilities

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Tarsus University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Tarsus University

Mersin, Turkey (Türkiye)

RECRUITING

Related Publications (9)

• Kwekkeboom, K. L., & Gretarsdottir, E. (2006). Systematic review of relaxation interventions for pain. Journal of nursing scholarship, 38(3), 269-277.

  BACKGROUND

• Jones, R. A., Merkle, S., Ruvalcaba, L., Ashton, P., Bailey, C., & Lopez, M. (2020). Nurse-led mobility program: driving a culture of early mobilization in medical surgical nursing. Journal of Nursing Care Quality, 35(1), 20-26.

  RESULT

• Gürsoy, A. (2024). Video destekli erken mobilizasyon eğitiminin abdominal cerrahi sonrası hastaların mobilizasyon durumuna ve mobilizasyon ile ilişkili ölçütlere etkisi (doktora tezi). Karadeniz Teknik Üniversitesi.

  RESULT

• Gıynaş, T., Önel, A. E., Küçük, S., Uğur, S., & Yardımcı, F. An Investigation of Using Non-Pharmacological Methods in Pain Management in Postoperative Period in Children: A Systematic Review. Bilecik Şeyh Edebali Üniversitesi Sağlık Bilimleri Fakültesi Dergisi, 2(3), 172-190.

  RESULT

• Daldaban, F. N. (2023), Erken mobilizasyon eğitiminin abdominal cerrahi sonrası hareketlilik, ağrı ve konfor üzerine etkisi (yüksek lisans tezi). Doğu Akdeniz Üniversitesi.

  RESULT

• Çamok, G. (2021). Yoğun bakım ünitesinde entübe hastaların erken mobilizasyonu ve erken mobilizasyonun solunum örüntüsü ile hasta hemodinamisine etkileri (yüksek lisans tezi). İstanbul Okan Üniversitesi.

  RESULT

• Cote, C. J., & Wilson, S. (2016). Guidelines for monitoring and management of pediatric patients before, during, and after sedation for diagnostic and therapeutic procedures: update 2016. Pediatric Dentistry, 38(4), E19-E39. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2016-1212

  RESULT

• Christiaens, G. (2003). Independent nursing interventions for pain management. Home health care management & practice, 15(3), 212-214.

  RESULT

• Akdağ, Y. M. (2019). Akut apendisit ameliyatı olan 6-12 yaş grubu çocukların postoperatif dönemde çevre oyunu ile mobilizasyonunun korku ve ağrı düzeyine etkisi (Yüksek lisans tezi). İstanbul Okan Üniversitesi.

  RESULT

Central Study Contacts

Duygu SÖNMEZ DÜZKAYA, PhD

CONTACT

2200; duygusduzkaya@tarsus.edu.tr

Yusuf Kızılkaya

CONTACT

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT
• Purpose: HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Principal Investigator

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: February 16, 2026
• First Posted: February 23, 2026
• Study Start: March 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): December 1, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 15, 2026
• Last Updated: February 23, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-02

Locations

TU (1)