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

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the effects of music on state-anxiety, physiological and laboratory parameters in blood donors. Methods: 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 signifi cant reduction in state-anxiety scores (p = 0.31). Nevertheless, signifi cant 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.