3-D Storybook: Effects on Surgical Knowledge and Anxiety Among Four- to Six-Year-Old Surgical Patients

Inadequate surgical knowledge potentiates anxiety; however, no methodology simultaneously addresses anxiety and surgical knowledge. Our quasi-experimental study determined the effectiveness of a three-dimensional (3-D) storybook in increasing surgical knowledge and decreasing anxiety among young children scheduled for planned or required major surgeries. We studied 20 randomly assigned participants who received either the 3-D storybook or traditional health teaching. A presurgical knowledge questionnaire and modified Yale Preoperative Anxiety Scale assessed surgical knowledge and anxiety. Data were analyzed with one-way and repeated-measures multivariate analysis of variance. Results showed that both groups had higher knowledge scores (F = 8.94; P = .008) and lower anxiety scores (F = 5.13; P = .036) after the intervention. The children who received information from the 3-D storybook exhibited a significantly higher posttest knowledge score (F = 11.71; P = .003) and lower anxiety score (F = 10.05; P = .005) than the traditionally educated group of children. The 3-D storybook effectively increased surgical knowledge and decreased anxiety and could be used as an alternative method to prepare pediatric surgical patients.