Journal of Pediatric Nursing
Volume 23, Issue 3 , Pages 195-200, June 2008

The Impact of Positioning on Fear During Immunizations: Supine Versus Sitting Up

The results of this study were presented at the Minnesota Child Life Coalition, Burnsville, MN, October 2005.

  • Colleen M. Lacey, MA, CCLS

      Affiliations

    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author: Colleen M. Lacey, MA, CCLS, Child Life Specialist, Child Life Department MS# 32-7210, 2525 Chicago Avenue South, Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55404-4597.
    • ,
  • Marsha Finkelstein, MS
    • ,
  • Megan V. Thygeson, BA

Child Life Department MS# 32-7210, Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN

Center for Care Innovation and Research, Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN

This study explored the impact of a child's position on the level of fear and perception of pain during an immunization injection. One hundred seven children, ages 4–6, participated in a random-assignment, two-group design study to evaluate the effect of positioning on fear and perceived pain. Group 1 was placed in the supine position and Group 2 in the sitting position prior to immunizations. The results substantiated the belief that children are significantly less fearful about receiving an injection when they are sitting up as compared to when they are lying down. There was no difference in perception of pain.

Key words: Immunizations, Fear, Children, Positioning, Injections, Anxiety, Procedural distress

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PII: S0882-5963(07)00367-3

doi:10.1016/j.pedn.2007.09.007

Journal of Pediatric Nursing
Volume 23, Issue 3 , Pages 195-200, June 2008

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