Beyond Pain: A Detailed Understanding of Needle Fear
Year: 2020
Type: dissertation
Abstract: Needle procedures are a ubiquitous component of general health care delivery, monitoring, and disease prevention. Venipunctures and vaccinations are some of the most prevalent needle procedures with the former used to screen for and diagnose a variety of conditions, and the latter responsible for the decline and eradication of several infectious diseases. Given their critical role, it is concerning that an estimated 14% to 38% of adults and 33% to 63% of children report being fearful of needles to some extent. This thesis aimed to address fundamental gaps in the literature regarding the development, maintenance, and presentation of needle fear using data from two archival studies. Study 1 examined protective factors and the development of needle fear in a sample of 100 adults (Mage: 39.15, ages 29 – 39, 61.0% female) and Study 2 aimed to characterize the “fear focus” of needle fear in a sample of 173 adults (Mage: 40.57; ages 28 – 71, 58.6% female) and 139 children (Mage: 7.92; ages 5 – 12, 62.6% female). Our findings highlight potential protective factors (e.g., understanding the importance of needles, positive needle experiences), retrospective reasons for the development of needle fear (e.g., direct negative needle experiences), and a number of fear foci that drive needle fear beyond pain which has been the predominant concern within the pediatric literature to date. The results of this work provide a foundational understanding of needle fear that can be used to inform preventative and treatment interventions.
Author: Hiba Nauman
Language: English
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W3088917107