The Teddy Bear Hospital Project as a Preventive and Therapeutic Method Against Iatrophobia Among Healthy and Sick Children

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of the Brasília Teddy Bear Hospital Project (TBH) as a health education strategy for children. Theoretical Framework: Children may have a negative perception of hospital environments, generating fear and anxiety, a condition known as iatrophobia. Method: A quasi-experimental pre-test/post-test study that included school-age children treated in public schools and two public hospitals. Data collection was based on forms used in the dynamics with the children, which contained information about the clinical cases prepared by each participating child for their respective “bear-patient”: the teddy bear’s main complaints, medications prescribed, imaging tests performed, and surgical procedures. In addition, each form contained information about the emotional state of each child at the beginning of the dynamic and at its conclusion. Results And Discussion: A total of 767 children were included in the study. There was a significant change in the negative perception of many children regarding hospital procedures and environments. Sick children reported more health problems in their bear-patients compared to healthy children in schools (1.67 X 1.38 respectively; p < 0.001). In schools, girls converted more feelings of happiness than boys. Research Implications: Play as a method of approaching health issues can be quite effective in the pediatric age-group Originality/Value: The high rate of conversion of negative feelings to positive feelings at the end of the dynamics may indicate the therapeutic and prophylactic effect of TBH on iatrophobia in the pediatric age-group.