Robb 2008.

Study characteristics
Methods	CCT 3‐arm parallel‐group design
Participants	Children with cancer Diagnosis: no further details provided Total N randomized: 83 N randomized to active music engagement group: 27 N randomized to music listening group: 28 (not included in this review) N randomized to control group: 28 N analyzed in active music engagement group: 27 N analyzed in music listening group: 28 (not included in this review) N analyzed in audiobook control group: 28 Mean age: not reported Sex: not reported Ethnicity: not reported Setting: inpatient Country: USA
Interventions	2 study groups: Active Music Engagement group: greeting song (adapted version of the song 'Willoughby Wallaby Woo', which incorporated the child's name and encouraged manipulation of a stuffed vinyl monkey), instrument playing (choice of hand‐held rhythm instruments played to live music), action songs (finger puppets, props, and sound effect instruments used with the songs 'Five Little Speckled Frogs' and 'Five Little Monkeys'), illustrated songs in storybook form ('Wheels on the Bus' and 'Down by the Bay'), and closing song (an original song 'Time to Say Good‐Bye', which included choice of sound effects) Audiobook control group: listening to 2 audiobooks with illustrated storybooks Music selections provided: children's songs Number of sessions: 1 Length of sessions: 30 min Categorized as music therapy
Outcomes	Positive affect (behavioral form): post‐test scores Active engagement (behavioral form): post‐test scores Initiation (behavioral form): post‐test scores
Notes	—
Risk of bias
Bias	Authors' judgement	Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias)	High risk	Quote: "[P]articipants were not allocated to the research conditions at random, but were sequentially assigned to one of three study conditions" (Erratum published online).
Allocation concealment (selection bias)	High risk	Quote: "Participants were sequentially assigned one of three study conditions. Assignment was done in the same manner at each hospital to maintain an equal number of participants in each condition across all sites."
Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias) All outcomes	Low risk	The music therapist could not be blinded given the interactive nature of the music therapy session. It was unclear whether the children were blinded to the purpose of the study.
Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias) Objective outcomes	Low risk	This study did not address objective outcomes.
Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias) Subjective outcomes	High risk	Outcome assessors were not blinded.
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) All outcomes	High risk	No data records were kept on number of subjects approached, consented and withdrawn (personal communication with principal investigator).
Selective reporting (reporting bias)	Low risk	No evidence of selective reporting
Other bias	Low risk	"This research study was sponsored through a National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS) grant awarded to the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA). This study received additional support through an institutional post‐doctoral fellowship, CA 117865‐O1A1.