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Children's fear, pain, and anxiety before and after enema: A descriptive, cross-sectional study

Figen Turk Dudukcu1, Zeynep Padir2

  • 1Pamukkale University, Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Nursing, Konya, Kınıklı District, University Street, No:11, 20160 Pamukkale, Denizli, Türkiye.

Journal of Pediatric Nursing
|March 12, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Enemas cause significant fear and pain in children, with fear levels increasing post-procedure. Routine nursing interventions are crucial to manage these negative emotions during enema administration.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Nursing
  • Child Psychology
  • Medical Procedures

Background:

  • Enemas are common medical procedures for children.
  • Understanding children's emotional responses to enemas is vital for effective care.
  • Fear, pain, and anxiety are common in pediatric patients undergoing medical interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the levels of fear, pain, and anxiety in children aged 7-18 before and after enema administration.
  • To identify the impact of enemas on children's emotional well-being.

Main Methods:

  • A descriptive, cross-sectional study involving 160 children aged 7-18 undergoing enema.
  • Utilized the Children's Fear Scale (CFS), Wong-Baker FACES® Pain Rating Scale (WBS), and Children's Anxiety Meter-State (CAMS).
  • Employed descriptive statistics, independent sample t-tests, and repeated measures ANOVA, with p < 0.05 considered significant.

Main Results:

  • Pre-enema, children reported high fear (2.19 ± 1.09) and pain (2.94 ± 1.08), with low anxiety (3.60 ± 1.81).
  • Post-enema, fear, pain, and anxiety scores increased, with a statistically significant rise in fear (2.49 ± 1.34).
  • A negative correlation was observed between child's age and levels of fear, pain, and anxiety.

Conclusions:

  • Enemas induce negative emotions like fear and pain in children, persisting even after the procedure.
  • There is a clear need for targeted nursing interventions before and during enema administration.
  • Routine assessment and management of fear, pain, and anxiety are essential for pediatric patients receiving enemas.
Abstract

Keywords:
AnxietyChildren in clinical nursingFearNursing researchPain assessment

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