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Children's Preferences for Active and Passive Distraction Methods During Needle-Related Invasive Procedures

Guzide Ugucu1, Derya Akdeniz Uysal2, Ozlem Guzel Polat2

  • 1Department of Pediatric Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Mersin University, Mersin, Turkey.

Pain Management Nursing : Official Journal of the American Society of Pain Management Nurses
|June 9, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Younger children (6-9 years) prefer passive distraction, while older children (10-12 years) prefer active methods during needle procedures. Tailoring distraction techniques to age improves patient comfort.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric healthcare
  • Child psychology
  • Pain management

Background:

  • Needle-related invasive procedures are common in hospitalized children.
  • Effective distraction methods are crucial for managing procedural pain and anxiety.
  • Understanding age-specific preferences for distraction is essential for optimizing care.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the preferences for active versus passive distraction techniques in hospitalized children aged 6-12 years.
  • To identify age-related differences in distraction method preferences during needle-related invasive procedures.

Main Methods:

  • A descriptive cross-sectional study involving 500 hospitalized children aged 6-12 years.
  • Data collected using the Child Information and Observation Form.
  • Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and logistic regression.

Main Results:

  • A significant association was found between age and distraction preference (p < .001).
  • Children aged 6-9 years were more likely to prefer passive distraction (OR = 5.43).
  • Older children (10-12 years) favored active, interaction-based distraction methods.

Conclusions:

  • Younger children tend to prefer passive, low-cognitive-load distraction.
  • Older children prefer active, engagement-based distraction methods.
  • Collaborative selection of distraction methods with children and families is recommended, considering age-related preferences.
Abstract

Keywords:
ChildrenDistraction methodsNeedle-related procedurePain managementPediatric nursing

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