The Effect of the Strategic Game Tangram on Postoperative Patient Outcomes

NCT ID: NCT07031271

Last Updated: 2025-06-29

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 74 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2025-06-15
• Study Completion Date: 2026-05-15

Brief Summary

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of playing tangram game after surgery on pain, fatigue and comfort levels in patients undergoing abdominal surgery.

Detailed Description

Tangram game is a skill and strategy game based on creating 100 different forms, made of 4 or 7 pieces, made of wood. 100 different shapes are obtained by using all the given pieces. These patterns should be arranged from easy to difficult by following a given guide. Tangram game is a strong stimulant as it appeals to both visual and mental skills. Strong stimulants prevent the ongoing pain stimulus at that moment. Pain transmission is interrupted and the individual is prevented from feeling pain. During and after the game, the pain level begins to decrease thanks to different stimulants. Applications that give the individual pleasure, such as Tangram, provide the secretion of substances such as enkephalin and endorphin. With these secreted substances, the body's own analgesia system is supported and the severity of pain is reduced. There are studies in the literature testing non-pharmacological interventions in the management of post-operative pain and fatigue. Some of these studies include studies evaluating the effects of massage, listening to music, cold application, distraction strategies such as playing a tangram game or giving auditory stimulation, mobilization, reflexology, chewing gum, and acupuncture. There are limited studies in the literature on the use of tangram games in the management of postoperative pain, and no studies have been found examining the effects of this intervention on pain, fatigue, and patient comfort.

Conditions

Pain Management; Postoperative Care; Nursing Care

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: SUPPORTIVE_CARE
• Blinding Strategy: SINGLE

Study Groups

Tangram game

In this group, researchers will apply the Patient Identification Form to patients who are on the first day after surgery, who give at least 2 points for pain level, and who have had at least 3 hours since the last analgesic application, and will ask about the patients' pain and fatigue levels (First measurement). After this evaluation, patients in the intervention group will be asked to play the game for 20 minutes by making their own models with 7-piece tangram pieces in accordance with the randomization output. After the game, the pain and fatigue levels will be questioned again (Second measurement). The pain and fatigue levels will be questioned again 30 minutes after the second measurement (Third measurement).

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Tangram game

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Tangram game; It is a very old intelligence and attention game of Chinese origin. This game stands out with its both entertaining and educational aspects. Tangram consists of seven geometric pieces formed from a square shape. These 7 pieces; 2 large right triangles, 1 medium right triangle, 2 small right triangles, 1 square and 1 parallelogram. The aim is to create various shapes (animals, people, objects, letters, etc.) with these pieces. The aim of the Tangram game is to recreate the same appearance with a given shape (silhouette) using the pieces. All 7 pieces must be used in the game, the pieces must not be overlapped, the pieces must not be cut or divided, the pieces can be rotated or turned according to the selected shape. For example, the person is asked to create a cat figure with these 7 pieces in accordance with the rules. This game is one of the non-pharmacological pain management techniques by diverting the attention of the patients. It is easy to apply and cheap.

Usual care

In this group, researchers will apply the Patient Identification Form to patients who are on the first day after surgery, who give at least 2 points for pain level, and who have had at least 3 hours since the last analgesic application, and will ask about the patients' pain and fatigue levels (First measurement). After this assessment, no intervention will be applied to the patients, and the pain and fatigue levels will be questioned again 20 minutes after the first measurement (Second measurement). The pain and fatigue levels will be questioned again 30 minutes after the second measurement (Third measurement).

Group Type: NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

Tangram game

Tangram game; It is a very old intelligence and attention game of Chinese origin. This game stands out with its both entertaining and educational aspects. Tangram consists of seven geometric pieces formed from a square shape. These 7 pieces; 2 large right triangles, 1 medium right triangle, 2 small right triangles, 1 square and 1 parallelogram. The aim is to create various shapes (animals, people, objects, letters, etc.) with these pieces. The aim of the Tangram game is to recreate the same appearance with a given shape (silhouette) using the pieces. All 7 pieces must be used in the game, the pieces must not be overlapped, the pieces must not be cut or divided, the pieces can be rotated or turned according to the selected shape. For example, the person is asked to create a cat figure with these 7 pieces in accordance with the rules. This game is one of the non-pharmacological pain management techniques by diverting the attention of the patients. It is easy to apply and cheap.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Having had abdominal surgery
• Being on the first day after surgery
• Having a first pain measurement score of at least 2
• Having at least 3 hours since the last analgesic application

Exclusion Criteria

• Having hearing/vision/mental problems
• Having limited movement in the hand/wrist/arm
• Having undergone surgery due to cancer
• Being diagnosed with a psychological illness (schizophrenia, depression)

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

Aydin Adnan Menderes University

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Ezgi Arslan

PhD, Research Assisstant (Principal Investigator)

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Locations

Aydın Adnan Menderes University

Aydin, Aydın, Turkey (Türkiye)

Countries

Turkey (Türkiye)

Other Identifiers

Diversion of Attention

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id