Does a child's fear of needles decrease through a learning event with needles?

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Health
• Medical Education
• Psychology

Background:

• Childhood needle phobia is common, impacting healthcare experiences.
• Effective preparation strategies are crucial for mitigating pediatric procedural pain and anxiety.
• Limited research exists on how preparation impacts healthy children's fear of needles.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if learning with needles reduces needle fear in school-aged children.
• To assess the impact of such preparation on children's motivation for vaccinations.
• To explore the association between needle fear and vaccination motivation.

Main Methods:

• A
• Let's Be Doctors
• event involving hands-on learning with syringes and imitation needles was conducted.
• Participants included school-aged children in Tsukuba city, Japan.
• Anonymous self-assessment questionnaires measured fear of needles and vaccination motivation before and after the event.

Main Results:

• A total of 191 children completed the questionnaire, with 180 analyzed.
• Fear of needles decreased from 38.3% to 28.3% post-event.
• Unwillingness to get vaccinations decreased from 26.7% to 15.0% post-event.
• Pre-event needle fear was strongly associated with lower vaccination willingness, which improved after the event.

Conclusions:

• Experiential learning with needles effectively reduces children's fear and increases willingness for vaccinations.
• A significant association exists between needle phobia and negative vaccination motivation in children.
• Interventions involving direct engagement with needles can positively influence pediatric attitudes toward immunization.