Study on How Daily Screen Time Affects Anxiety Before Surgery in Children Ages 2 to 5 Years

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are investigating whether the amount of daily screen time affects anxiety levels in young children aged 2 to 5 years who are about to undergo elective surgery. This observational study focuses on preoperative anxiety, which can lead to challenges during anesthesia induction, increased agitation after surgery, longer recovery, and behavioral issues. The study aims to fill a gap by exploring the link between screen exposure and anxiety in this specific stressful situation. Parents will fill out a detailed questionnaire about their childs daily screen use, including duration, content type, passive exposure, and parental screen habits. Children will be grouped based on reported screen time into less than 1 hour, 1 to 2 hours, or more than 2 hours daily. Anxiety will be measured right before anesthesia using the Modified Yale Preoperative Anxiety Scale mYPAS, an observational tool assessing activity, vocalization, emotional expression, arousal, and parent interaction. Participants will complete the questionnaire during preoperative waiting, with anxiety assessed by a trained anesthesiologist without interfering with care. No extra medical procedures will be done. The study will analyze anxiety scores in relation to screen exposure and other factors like sociodemographics and clinical history. The primary outcome is the anxiety level measured immediately before anesthesia induction. The study is designed to have no added clinical risk beyond standard surgical care.

Daily Screen Exposure and Preoperative Anxiety in Children Aged 2-5 Years