Effects of chewing gum and stress ball on pain and anxiety during blood collection in people with obesity: a randomized controlled study

It is necessary to collect venous blood from individuals for the follow-up and treatment of obesity-related health problems. Thick subcutaneous adipose tissue in people with obesity may cause them to experience more pain and anxiety during blood collection. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of chewing gum and using stress ball during blood sampling on the level of pain and anxiety and some vital signs in people with obesity. It is a parallel group randomized controlled trial conducted prospectively. The sample was determined by power analysis. The total number of participants was 108. Three groups were included in the study: The control group, those who chewed gum, and those who used stress balls. The study was planned and implemented in accordance with the CONSORT statement. The data was collected as individual introduction form, visual comparison scale, and state anxiety inventory. The mean age of the participants was 48.87 ± 12.44, the mean body mass index was 36.70 ± 5.41, and the mean arm circumference was 33.90 ± 3.67. The pain levels of the gum chewers were significantly lower than those in the control group. The anxiety levels of the stress ball users were significantly lower than those the control group. There were no significant differences between the groups in terms of vital signs after blood sampling. In people with obesity, the use of a stress ball during peripheral venous blood collection reduce anxiety and chewing gum reduce the perception of pain. Chewing gum and using a stress ball are two nonpharmacological methods to reduce blood sampling pain that are both cost-effective and have no side effects.<b>Clinical trial registration</b>: NCT05738551.