The Relationship Between Children's Fears and Behavior During a Painful Event

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between the level of fear of medical experiences reported by children and their observed behavior in low-and high-threat medical situations. One hundred and twenty-eight children who participated in a health screening clinic were interviewed using a 12-item Medical Fear Questionnaire. Their behavior was observed during an interview (low threat) and when they received and immunization (high threat). The results indicated that children who are higher in fear demonstrate more negatively behaviors during both situations than those low in fear. Also all children behaved more negatively in the high-threat than the low-threat situation Implications for practitioners who work with children in medical setting are presented.