Effect of Three Multisensory Stimulation Modalities on Needle‐Related Procedural Pain, Fear, and Anxiety Among Children: Randomized Controlled Trial

Aim: This research aimed to measure the effect of three multisensory stimulation modalities (virtual reality, thermomechanical stimulation, and kaleidoscope) on needle‐related procedural pain, anxiety, and fear among children. Background: Effective distraction strategies for pediatric pain management require multisensory stimulation, including visual, auditory, and kinesthetic modalities. These modalities can compete with unpleasant stimuli and promote a positive emotional response. Additionally, thermomechanical stimulation and kaleidoscopes can decrease needle‐induced pain, fear, and anxiety in hospitalized children. Materials and Methods: This randomized controlled trial (RCT) involved 160 children aged 6–12 years, conducted from January 2024 to June 2024 at the inpatient pediatric medical department of Tanta Main University Hospital. Participants were randomly classified into four equal groups ( n = 40): a control group receiving no intervention, virtual reality group, Buzzy Bee group, and kaleidoscope group. Data was collected using information from Wong–Baker Faces Pain Rating Scale (WBFPS), Children’s Fear Scale (CFS), and Children’s Anxiety Meter (CAM). The research was approved by the Ethical Committee of Faculty of Nursing, Tanta University. Results: The virtual reality, Buzzy Bee, and kaleidoscope groups showed significantly lower mean scores in WBS, CFS, and CAM scales compared to the control group. The virtual reality group demonstrated the most significant reduction, with mean pain scores of 1.88 ± 0.463 for children in the virtual reality group compared to 2.05 ± 0.504 for the Buzzy Bee group and 2.55 ± 0.876 for the kaleidoscope group. There was a highly significant ( p ≤ 0.001) mean difference in respiratory and oxygen saturation among the control and the intervention groups. Conclusion: All three distraction methods (virtual reality, Buzzy Bee, and kaleidoscope) effectively reduced procedure‐related pain, fear, and anxiety. However, virtual reality was found to be better, outperforming the other methods in terms of pain reduction. Trial Registration: Pan African ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: PACTR202405799797673