ArticleFrontiers in medicine2026
Efficacy comparison of clown care therapy versus virtual reality distraction on venipuncture-induced anxiety in preschool children: a retrospective cohort study.
Article in Frontiers in medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Combined use of EMLA cream and Buzzy for peripheral intravenous cannulation in children: a randomized controlled trial.Frontiers in pediatrics · 2026Article
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Authors and funding
3 authors.
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No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: Venous blood sampling is a common medical procedure in preschool children that often induces significant anxiety, affecting procedural success and long-term medical adaptation. Clown care therapy (CCT) and virtual reality distraction (VRD) are non-pharmacological interventions with potential to alleviate children's anxiety, but existing research primarily focuses on Western populations, lacking direct comparisons in the Chinese cultural context, and often relies on subjective scales with insufficient use of objective physiological indicators. Objective: To compare the efficacy of CCT and VRD in reducing anxiety during venous blood sampling in preschool children, and evaluate their clinical application value using both subjective and objective metrics. Methods: This single-center, retrospective cohort study was conducted at Dongcheng District, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University. Medical records of 220 preschool children aged 3-6 years who underwent venous blood sampling between January 2022 and January 2025 were reviewed. Based on the non-pharmacological distraction method administered as part of routine clinical care and documented in their medical records, participants were categorized into two groups: the CCT group ( Results: The CCT group suggested significantly lower anxiety scores during blood sampling ( Conclusion: In this retrospective analysis, CCT was associated with better outcomes than VRD in alleviating anxiety induced by venous blood sampling in preschool children, significantly improving subjective anxiety, physiological stress responses, clinical efficiency, and parental satisfaction. Its interactive, human-centered nature may be particularly acceptable in this setting, though this requires further investigation.
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