Clinical trial · Interventional
Animal-Assisted Interactions in Children With Life-Threatening Conditions and Their Parents
Effects of Animal-Assisted Interactions (AAI) on Quality of Life in Children With Life-Threatening Conditions and Their Parents
NCT03765099CI-TRIAL-00063385completedN/AClinicalTrials.gov clinicaltrialsProvenance
- Source
- ClinicalTrials.gov
- Retrieved
- Sep 8, 2026
- Layer
- normalized (units and labels harmonized; values unchanged)
- Run
- ING-CLINICALTRIALS-20260908-000001
Summary
Brief summary (as posted)
This study will evaluate the effects of animal-assisted interactions (AAI) on stress, anxiety, and quality of life in children with a life-threatening condition and their parents. It is anticipated to be a milestone in understanding the human-animal bond.
Conditions
Conditions (3)
Free-text conditions as registered, with the CancerIndex entity they were reconciled to and the match type.
| Condition (as posted) | Mapped entity | Match | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advanced Cancer | Malignant Neoplasm | CURATED_BROADER | 0.78 |
| Refractory Cancer | Malignant Neoplasm | CURATED_BROADER | 0.78 |
| Relapsed Cancer | Malignant Neoplasm | CURATED_BROADER | 0.78 |
Interventions
Interventions (1)
| Intervention | Type | Mapped drug | Match |
|---|---|---|---|
| Animal-Assisted Interactions | Behavioral | — | UNRESOLVED |
Design
Arms and outcomes
Arms (2)
- type
- EXPERIMENTAL
- label
- Animal-Assisted Interactions
- description
- Children and their caregivers randomly assigned to the intervention group will spend approximately 15 min with a registered canine and its owner during potentially anxiety-producing visits to the hospital.
- interventionNames
- Behavioral: Animal-Assisted Interactions
- type
- ACTIVE_COMPARATOR
- label
- Usual Care
- description
- Children and their caregivers randomly assigned to the usual care group will receive usual care which may include play therapy, music therapy or visits with a social worker during their visits to the hospital.
- interventionNames
- Behavioral: Animal-Assisted Interactions
Primary outcomes (3)
- measure
Eligibility
Eligibility (as posted)
- Sex
- All
- Minimum age
- 3 Years
- Maximum age
- 17 Years
Show eligibility criteria text
Inclusion Criteria: * Children 3-17 years old * Confirmed diagnosis of relapsed or refractory cancer Exclusion Criteria: * Reported fear or anxiety of dogs (child or parent)
References
Publications (2)
- DERIVEDMahoney AB, Akard TF, Cowfer BA, Dietrich MS, Newton JL, Gilmer MJ. Impact of Animal-Assisted Interaction on Anxiety in Children With Advanced Cancer and Their Caregivers. J Palliat Med. 2024 Jan;27(1):75-82. doi: 10.1089/jpm.2023.0091. Epub 2023 Sep 25. PMID 37751186
- DERIVEDCowfer BA, Akard TF, Gilmer MJ. Animal-Assisted Interventions for Children with Advanced Cancer: Child and Parent Perceptions. Palliat Med Rep. 2021 Nov 17;2(1):328-334. doi: 10.1089/pmr.2021.0039. eCollection 2021. PMID 34927159