Results
The study sample consisted of 109 (55%) women and 88 (45%) men. Other
demographic data is presented in Table 1. Five people in the
intervention group but none in the control group visited the MRI unit
prior to their scheduled examination. No other group differences were
found regarding demographic and other sample characteristics, including
general tendency to experience anxiety (STAI-T scores).
Table 1 about here
Anxiety prior to and during MRI
There was no significant difference in anxiety between the intervention
and control group, either prior to MRI or during the examination (Table
2). Both groups showed significantly lower anxiety during MRI compared
to immediately before the examination. Group comparisons were also
conducted excluding the patients in the intervention group who visited
the MRI unit prior to the examination. The analysis yielded median
(q1-q3) STAI-SB (n=79) and STAI-SA
(n=75) scores of 32 (25-39) and 27 (22-37) for the intervention group.
Compared to the control group (Table 2), these results gave P-values of
0.231 and 0.421 for the STAI-SB and STAI-SA, respectively.
Table 2 about here
Thirty-three respondents (39%) in the control group and 22 (25%) in
the intervention group had a total STAI-SB score ≥40 (P=0.124;
chi-square test). For the STAI-SA, equal numbers of respondents in both
groups (n=17) had a total score ≥40 (P=0.843; chi-square test). Logistic
regression demonstrated that high trait anxiety (total STAI-T scores
≥40), having visited the MRI unit prior to the examination, presence of
relatives at in the examination room, and receiving the placebo
intervention rather than the MRI information booklet were associated
with high levels of pre-scan anxiety (Table 3). High anxiety levels
during scanning (STAI-SA scores ≥40) were associated with high trait
anxiety and having called the MRI unit prior to the examination (Table
3).
Table 3 about here
Satisfaction with information
Participants in both groups found pre-scan information to be of
importance (median [q1-q3], 4 [3-4] in both groups; P=0.837;
Mann-Whitney U-test). Both groups also considered their expectations of
the examination to agree with their experiences (median [q1-q3], 3
[2-4] and 3 [3-4] for the control and intervention groups,
respectively; P=0.253; Mann-Whitney U-test). However, the intervention
group was more satisfied with the given information (median [q1-q3],
4 [4-4]) than the control group was (4 [3-4]; P=0.044;
Mann-Whitney U-test).