341 - Child Life Program Effectiveness in Reducing Parental Anxiety

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of Child Life on reducing anxiety among parents of pediatric dental patients that are about to receive comprehensive dental care under general anesthesia at NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue (Bellevue).  This study also seeks to identify parents’ top concerns about general anesthesia.

Methods: This was a prospective study of parents, using a pre- and post-attitudinal survey during their child’s prehospitalization visit at Bellevue.  Inclusion criteria included English and Spanish speaking parents who attended a prehospitalization visit before their child’s pediatric dental surgery. Exclusion criteria were those parents who do not consent to the survey or whose primary language is not English or Spanish.  About 30 participants were recruited over a one-month period (December 31, 2024, to January 31, 2025). Surveys, hosted on REDCap and administered via tablet, included the validated six-item State form of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and additional study-specific questions, with each survey taking approximately five minutes to complete. All data was de-identified. Data analysis included T-tests, Chi-square tests, and Kruskal-Wallis tests. 

Results: Final results are pending.

Conclusion: Conclusions are pending results.

Identify Supporting Agency and Grant Number: N/A