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).