Effects of music on the anxiety of blood donors: randomized clinical trial

Randomized, double-blinded clinical trial, conducted in a regional blood bank, located in the interior of the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. In total, 126 blood donors participated in the study, randomly divided into two groups, being one experimental group (musical intervention before blood donation) and one control group (standard routine). To assess the state-anxiety scores, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) was used. The musical intervention consists of a repertoire of classical songs played through headphones, lasting approximately 26 minutes. For the quantitative variables, descriptive analyses were used to analyze the differences between state-anxiety, heart rate and respiratory rate, Student's t- test and Mann-Whitney's nonparametric test to evaluate the difference between blood pressure, oxygen saturation and cortisol levels.

Results:

The group submitted to musical intervention did not present a statistically significant reduction in state-anxiety scores (p = 0.31). Nevertheless, significant reductions in heart rate (p=0.006), respiratory rate (p=0.007) and blood cortisol levels (p<0.001) were observed.

Conclusion:

Music did not reduce the state-anxiety levels. We were able to demonstrate the effectiveness of the intervention in reducing physiological and laboratory parameters though, which are altered in the face of anxiogenic situations.

Keywords
Music; Anxiety; Blood donors; Vital signs; Hydrocortisone

Sociodemographic and donation process variables		CG (n=63)		EG (n=63)		p-value
Sociodemographic and donation process variables		Mean	SD^‡ ‡ SD = standard deviation;	Mean	SD^‡ ‡ SD = standard deviation;	p-value
Age in years		35.13	9.22	32.49	9.34	0.114^ǁ ǁ - homogeneity test (p-value) for the calculation of the T-test;
Number of blood donations		6.90	11.17	6.52	9.53	0.837^ǁ ǁ - homogeneity test (p-value) for the calculation of the T-test;
		n(%)		n(%)
Sex
	Female	27 (42.9)		37 (58.7)		0.075^¶ ¶ - homogeneity test (p-value) referring to the calculation of the Chi-Square Test.
	Male	36 (57.1)		26 (41.3)
Level of education
	Elementary School	11 (17.4)		10 (15.9)		-
	Secondary education	26 (41.3)		24 (38.1)
	Higher education	26 (41.3)		29 (46.0)
Marital status
	Married/fixed partner	38 (60.3)		37 (58.7)		-
	Single	21 (33.3)		23 (36.5)
	Divorced (a)	04 (6.4)		03 (4.8)
Type of donation
	Replacement	18 (28.6)		14 (22.2)		-
	Spontaneous	38 (60.3)		44 (69.9)
	Call	07 (11.1)		05 (7.90)
First blood donation
	Yes	14 (22.2)		14 (22.2)		1.00^¶ ¶ - homogeneity test (p-value) referring to the calculation of the Chi-Square Test.
	No	49 (77.8)		49 (77.8)

Variables/Groups		n^* * n = number of participants;	M_difference^† † = mean difference (reduction);	Median	SD^‡ ‡ = standard deviation of differences;	p-value^§ § = p-value;
State-Anxiety	Control	63	-0.38	-1.00	6.07	0.31^β β = Student's t-test;
State-Anxiety	Experimental	63	0.70	1.00	5.85	0.31^β β = Student's t-test;
Blood pressure (systolic)	Control	63	0.79	0.00	9.89	0.17^Ω Ω = Mann-Whitney test.
Blood pressure (systolic)	Experimental	63	2.68	0.00	7.90	0.17^Ω Ω = Mann-Whitney test.
Blood pressure (diastolic)	Control	63	-1.75	0.00	8.71	0.98^Ω Ω = Mann-Whitney test.
Blood pressure (diastolic)	Experimental	63	-1.75	0.00	9.25	0.98^Ω Ω = Mann-Whitney test.
Heart rate	Control	63	4.73	4.00	7.01	0.006^β β = Student's t-test;
Heart rate	Experimental	63	8.70	9.00	8.74	0.006^β β = Student's t-test;
Respiratory rate	Control	63	-1.40	-2.00	2.64	0.007^β β = Student's t-test;
Respiratory rate	Experimental	63	0.03	0.00	3.15	0.007^β β = Student's t-test;
O2 saturation	Control	63	-0.21	0.00	1.65	0.31^Ω Ω = Mann-Whitney test.
O2 saturation	Experimental	63	-0.35	0.00	1.08	0.31^Ω Ω = Mann-Whitney test.
Cortisol	Control	63	-1.07	-0.06	4.82	<0.001^Ω Ω = Mann-Whitney test.
Cortisol	Experimental	63	2.40	1.29	7.97	<0.001^Ω Ω = Mann-Whitney test.

Escola Paulista de Enfermagem, Universidade Federal de São Paulo R. Napoleão de Barros, 754, 04024-002 São Paulo - SP/Brasil, Tel./Fax: (55 11) 5576 4430 - São Paulo - SP - Brazil
E-mail: actapaulista@unifesp.br

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[1] Corresponding author Maria Helena Barbosa, E-mail: mhelena331@hotmail.com / maria.barbosa@uftm.edu.br