Effects of BuzzyⓇ and ShotBlockerⓇ on Pain and Anxiety During Immunization in Children: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

Objective

Childhood vaccines are a vital procedure for preventing infectious diseases and are a regular component of a child's medical care. However, vaccines are among the first and most frequently encountered painful procedures that can cause indicators of anxiety in relation to immunizations. This study aimed to identify and assess the impact of the ShotBlocker^Ⓡ and Buzzy^Ⓡ approaches on pain, anxiety and satisfaction with the tetanus-diphtheria vaccine in school-aged children.

Design

An experimental randomized controlled trial.

Methods

The study included a sample of 138 children aged 13-years-old receiving the tetanus-diphtheria vaccine at a family health clinic. Participants were randomly assigned to the ShotBlocker^Ⓡ, Buzzy^Ⓡ and control groups. Each group consisted of 46 children, with an equal distribution of 23 females and 23 males. Data were collected using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (state version) and Visual Analog Scale.

Results

The ShotBlocker^Ⓡ and Buzzy^Ⓡ groups exhibited lower pain and anxiety scores than the control group. However, there was no statistically significant difference between groups (for pain, p = .135; for anxiety, p = .276). It was found though that there was a statistically significant difference between the mean anxiety scores of groups before and after vaccination (p < .001). Following vaccination, although the satisfaction scores of children in the ShotBlocker^Ⓡ and Buzzy^Ⓡ groups were higher, there was no statistically significant difference between the groups (p = .245).

Conclusions

The use of Buzzy^Ⓡ and ShotBlocker^Ⓡ has been demonstrated to be beneficial in reducing the pain and anxiety associated with tetanus-diphtheria vaccine injections in 13-year-old children. Furthermore, these methods can be employed frequently during vaccination to enhance children's satisfaction.