EFFECTS OF MUSIC LISTENING DURING CHEMOTHERAPY ON VITAL SIGNS AND ANXIETY LEVELS: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL

ABSTRACT Purpose: This study aims to investigate the effects of music listening during chemotherapy on cancer patients' vital signs and anxiety levels. Method: The population of the study consisted of the patients receiving chemotherapy in the chemotherapy unit of a public university hospital. The power analysis revealed that a sample size of 80 was required to achieve a power of 80%. The patients were assigned into two study groups as the group listening to music (music group) and the group not listening to music (non-music group) during chemotherapy. During chemotherapy sessions, two genres of music were played for 45 minutes at a level of 60 decibels: Turkish maqams and classical music. Result: The mean state-trait anxiety levels after the second music listening were 26.95 ± 5.983 in the music group and 30.30 ± 8.42 in the non-music group, and the difference was statistically significant. When the diastolic blood pressure values of the music group were examined, the change in these values after the second music listening was statistically significant. Suggestion: These results suggest that music listening has a positive effect on the vital signs and state-trait anxiety levels of patients receiving chemotherapy. Keywords: Anxiety, Nursing, Chemotherapy, Music listening, Vital signs