An interventional study of the finger-painting in CHİLD, sponsored by Firat University. Completed at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye). Open to participants aged 3 Years to 6 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-10-23.
Sponsored by Firat University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Supportive care
Aim: This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of finger-painting intervention administered during nebulization therapy on the fear and anxiety levels of children.
Methods: This randomized controlled trial was conducted in the pediatric ward of a city hospital between August 2025 and February 2026. The study was completed with 106 children aged 3-6 years (study group = 53, control group = 53). The data were collected by using Demographic Information Form, Children's Fear Scale, and Children's Anxiety Scale-State Anxiety. The study group received finger-painting intervention during nebulization therapy, while the control group received only routine care.
The nurse assessments of the children in the study and control groups were conducted by the same nurse evaluator for all children throughout the study. Prior to the data collection process, the primary researcher provided the nurse evaluator with standardized training on the purpose of the study, the data collection process, and the administration of the measurement instruments.
The primary researcher is a master's student in Pediatric Nursing and has been working as a nurse in pediatric clinics for approximately three years. She has also received training in therapeutic play and holds a certificate in this field.
Before nebulization treatment, the children's levels of fear and anxiety were evaluated by the child, the parent, the evaluating nurse, and the primary researcher using the CFS and CAS-SA. In addition, parents completed the Parent Information Form. After the completion of the nebulization treatment, the children's levels of fear and anxiety were reevaluated by the same evaluators. Throughout the study, the primary researcher did not participate in the delivery of clinical care; she was responsible only for data collection and the implementation of the intervention.
The nurse assessments of the children in the study and control groups were conducted by the same nurse evaluator for all children throughout the study. Prior to the data collection process, the primary researcher provided the nurse evaluator with standardized training on the purpose of the study, the data collection process, and the administration of the measurement instruments.
The primary researcher is a master's student in Pediatric Nursing and has been working as a nurse in pediatric clinics for approximately three years. She has also received training in therapeutic play and holds a certificate in this field.
Before nebulization treatment, the children's levels of fear and anxiety were evaluated by the child, the parent, the evaluating nurse, and the primary researcher using the CFS and CAS-SA. In addition, parents completed the Parent Information Form. After the completion of the nebulization treatment, the children's levels of fear and anxiety were reevaluated by the same evaluators. Throughout the study, the primary researcher did not participate in the delivery of clinical care; she was responsible only for data collection and the implementation of the intervention.
The nurse assessments of the children in the study and control groups were conducted by the same nurse evaluator for all children throughout the study. Prior to the data collection process, the primary researcher provided the nurse evaluator with standardized training on the purpose of the study, the data collection process, and the administration of the measurement instruments.
The primary researcher is a master's student in Pediatric Nursing and has been working as a nurse in pediatric clinics for approximately three years. She has also received training in therapeutic play and holds a certificate in this field.
Before nebulization treatment, the children's levels of fear and anxiety were evaluated by the child, the parent, the evaluating nurse, and the primary researcher using the CFS and CAS-SA. In addition, parents completed the Parent Information Form. After the completion of the nebulization treatment, the children's levels of fear and anxiety were reevaluated by the same evaluators. Throughout the study, the primary researcher did not participate in the delivery of clinical care; she was responsible only for data collection and the implementation of the intervention.
Finger-Painting Intervention Administered to the Study Group Finger painting is an art-based therapeutic play activity used in pediatric care to distract children and encourage their active participation (Coyne, 2006; Koller \& Goldman, 2012; Li \& Lopez, 2008). In the present study, the finger-painting intervention was administered to the children in the study group during nebulization therapy.
Immediately before the nebulization therapy began, the procedure was explained to the children. The children were given blank paper and single-use, non-toxic, water-based finger paints in six primary colors, suitable for pediatric use. The children were allowed to choose the colors they wanted, mix colors or use them separately, and carry out the painting process according to their own preferences. No guidance was provided regarding the number of fingers used, the painting technique, or pattern creation during the painting process.
The finger-painting activity was initiated simultaneously with nebulization therapy, and the children were allowed to paint freely in their beds. The activity lasted approximately 5-10 minutes and concluded upon completion of the nebulization therapy. After the activity, the children's hands were washed with their parents' assistance in accordance with standard clinical practices. Children performing the finger-painting activity during nebulization therapy and the finger-painting materials used in the study (Picture 1).
Interventions to the Control Group No distraction methods or additional interventions were used for the children in the control group during nebulization therapy. The children received nebulization therapy solely as part of routine clinical care.
5,063 studies on the registry are indexed under Anxiety Disorders; 1,408 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 106 is above the median of 80 across 4,339 interventional studies indexed under Anxiety Disorders.
Browse Anxiety Disorders studies →Firat University is the lead sponsor of 117 studies on the registry; 46 are open to participants now.
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For parents:
Exclusion Criteria:
For parents:
- Having a mental health issue.
Finger painting is an art-based therapeutic play activity in which children use their fingers and non-toxic paints to create images freely on paper. In pediatric care, this activity can serve as a distraction technique during medical procedures, supporting children's engagement and helping them cope with procedure-related fear and anxiety
Other: the finger-painting
Before nebulization therapy, the children were provided with finger paints and shown how to use them. They were then asked to engage in finger painting during the nebulization therapy.
assessing fear during nebulization therapy
Children's Fear Scale: The scale was developed by McMurtry et al. to find out the anxiety levels of children between 4 and 10 years of age (McCarthy et al., 2010). There are five face pictures in the scale. Anxiety level is scored between "0 and 4". 0 indicates "no anxiety", while a scared face is scored 4 and indicates "too much anxiety". After the nebulization therapy ended, a researcher and parents filled Children's Fear Scale separately and independently to find out fear experienced by the child during the procedure.
Time frame: 3-5 minutes.
assessing anxiety during nebulization therapy
Children's Anxiety Scale-State Anxiety was developed by Ersig et al. (2013); the Turkish validity and reliability study was conducted by Gerçeker et al. (2018) (Gerceker Özalp et al., 2018; Ersig et al, 2013). The scale is used to evaluate the levels of state anxiety in children aged 4-10. The scale, which is in the form of a thermometer, is rated on a scale where 0 means "calm, not tense or anxious" and 10 means "very tense or anxious." After the nebulization therapy ended, a researcher and parents filled Children's Anxiety Scale separately and independently to find out fear experienced by the child during the procedure.
Time frame: 3-5 minutes.
Plan to share: No
No publications or documents are linked to this record.
Ran from Aug 2025 to primary completion in Feb 2026, 6 months.
Of 2,720 non-industry interventional studies with no phase under Anxiety Disorders, half reached primary completion within 13 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 5 and three quarters within 31. This study's 6 months is below that.
Counting every sponsor, half of 2,789 studies reached it within 12 months; a quarter within 5 and three quarters within 30.
How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.
From the registry record's own update history. This site started tracking changes on Sep 25, 2026; for anything earlier, see the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
This study is completed, as verified in Oct 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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