The Effect of storybook use in pediatric health services on children's fear and anxiety levels: A meta-analysis study

Background: Invasive procedures are commonly used in pediatric healthcare, and storybooks can be used as an adjunct analgesic method. Objectives: This study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of using storybooks as a distraction technique to reduce fear and anxiety in pediatric healthcare. This study was conducted with the aim of revealing the level of effect of storybook use on children's fear and anxiety level in pediatric health services. Methods: For this meta-analysis study, the studies were obtained by searching PubMed, Web of Scıence, Scopus, EBSCOhost, Google Scholar and YÖK Thesis Center databases in April–June 2024 without any year limitation. After the reviews, 15 studies were included in the study. The data were synthesized by meta-analysis and narrative methods. Findings: In this meta-analysis, it was found that storybook use in pediatric health services was effective on children's anxiety (SMD: −4.412, 95 % CI: −7.727 to −1.097; Z = −2.608, p = 0.009; I2 = 99.890 %) and fear (SMD: −1.13, 95 % CI: −1.71 to −0.54; Z = −3.78, p = 0.000; I2 = 83.065 %) levels. In addition, it was determined that the characteristics of the intervention group, age group, the characteristics and content of the storybook, the duration of the intervention and the time of the intervention played a role in the effectiveness of the storybook use intervention in pediatric health services on children's anxiety and fear levels. Conclusion: The use of story books in children's health services reduces the level of fear and anxiety in children.