American scientists from the University of Pittsburgh and Washington State University have discovered that a mobile video game can help children overcome their fear of needles. The study was published in the scientific journal magazine JMIR Serious Games (JMIRSG).
Fear of needles, also known as trypanophobia, remains a common and understandable problem for many children. Research shows that approximately 19% of children aged 4-6 are afraid of syringes and injections. This fear may develop due to previous negative experiences, observation of the reactions of others, or simply a lack of understanding of the purpose and importance of vaccines or medical procedures.
Researchers have developed a 3D adventure game called Dr.Zoo for mobile devices; Here the player, in the role of a veterinarian, has to search for various cartoon animals and perform injections and other tasks.
36 children aged between 3 and 6 participated in the experiment. They were all afraid of injections. About two weeks before their scheduled injection appointment, young participants were asked to play Dr. Zoo and complete all four steps.
After each play day, parents rated their child’s fear level using the Child Fear Scale. Following the doctor’s visit, the researchers conducted a 10- to 30-minute exit interview with parents to obtain their opinions on the game’s effectiveness and suggestions for further improvement.
The results showed that after participating in the study, parents of 26 out of 35 children perceived a significant decrease in their child’s fear of syringes and needles compared to past experiences. They also noted that stress in children decreased during the injection.
Previous scientists developed Zika virus vaccine in patch form.