Storytelling-based nursing communication for reducing anxiety in hospitalized preschool children: A comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis

Hospitalization can be a distressing experience for preschool-aged children, often triggering anxiety that interferes with recovery and complicates nursing care. Storytelling has emerged as a therapeutic communication approach that may reduce emotional distress and support psychological well-being in pediatric patients. This systematic review and meta-analysis examined the effectiveness of storytelling-based nursing communication in reducing anxiety among hospitalized preschool children. A comprehensive literature search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Google Scholar up to March 2025. Eleven eligible interventional studies involving 923 preschool children from five countries were included. Data extraction and quality appraisal were independently performed by two reviewers, and meta-analyses were conducted using RevMan 5.4 and STATA 16. The pooled results showed that storytelling interventions significantly reduced anxiety levels compared to standard care (Standardized Mean Difference = -1.12; 95% CI: -1.45 to -0.79; p < .001). Subgroup analyses indicated greater effects when storytelling was combined with visual aids or interactive techniques. These findings suggest that storytelling-based communication is an effective, non-pharmacological strategy to alleviate anxiety in hospitalized preschool children and has the potential to enhance therapeutic engagement and emotional resilience when integrated into pediatric nursing practice. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)