Effect of Using Virtual Reality Goggles on Fear and Pain Level During Vaccination in Children

July 4, 2025 updated by: Selda Ateş Beşirik, Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University

The Effect of Using Virtual Reality Goggles on Fear and Pain Level During Vaccination in Children: A Randomized Controlled Study

The study was designed as a randomized controlled experimental research with the purpose of determining the effect of distraction by using Virtual Reality Glasses reducing fear and pain during routine vaccination in children.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

In the literature, it is stated that nurses should use pharmacological and non-pharmacological methods in pain and anxiety management in painful procedures. Evidence-based studies are needed to show the effectiveness of non-pharmacological methods in reducing pain during invasive procedures and to investigate the effects of easy-to-apply methods on pain. In light of this information, this study aimed to examine the effect of distraction by using Virtual Reality Glasses in reducing fear and pain during routine vaccination in children.

This study is a prospective, randomized and controlled trial. Children aged 48 months who required routine vaccination were divided into two groups; Virtual Reality Glasses and Control. Data were obtained through face-to-face interviews with the children, their parents, and the observer before and after the procedure. The children's anxiety levels were also assessed using the Children's Fear Scale. The children's pain levels were assessed and reported by the parents and observers and the children themselves who selfreported using Wong-Baker FACES.

The study population consisted of the children's during routine vaccination in children aged 48 months. Sample of the study consisted of a total of 64 children who met the sample selection criteria and were selected via randomization method.

Children were randomized into two groups: Virtual Reality Glasses group (n= 32) and Control group (n= 32). Data were collected using the Interview and Observation Form, Children's Fear Scale, and Wong-Baker FACES Pain Rating Scale.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

64

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Turkey
    • Bucak
      • Burdur, Bucak, Turkey, 15030
        • Burdur Bucak

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Children the ages of 48 months,
  • Volunteering of the child and parent to participate in the study,
  • Healthy children,
  • Vaccination should be done by the same nurse,

Exclusion Criteria:

  • The child has any acute or chronic disease,
  • The child has a mental disability, vision, speech or communication problems,
  • The parent has hearing, vision or verbal communication difficulties,
  • The child used analgesics in the last 6 hours,
  • Infection, disruption of skin integrity and rash in the area where the application will be made,
  • Exclusion criteria were that the parent or child wanted to leave the study at any point.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Virtual Reality Glasses Group
Virtual Reality (VR) Glasses were introduced to the children pre-procedure. The children were made to watch a video with VR glasses before starting the application and it continued until the end of vaccination procedure.
Behavioral: Virtual Reality Glasses
Virtual Reality(VR) Glasses were introduced to the children pre-procedure. The children were made to watch a video with VR glasses before starting the application and it continued until the end of the vaccination procedure.
No Intervention: Control group
In this group, children received routine vaccination procedure.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Wong-Baker FACES Pain Rating Scale
Time Frame: Through painful procedure completion, an average of 10 minutes
In the study, pain level evaluations, the children's self-evaluations, parents' evaluations and the researcher's evaluations were carried out using the WB-FACES scale. This scale was developed by Donna Wong and Connie Morain Baker in 1988. The scale is graded between 0-10 points. A smiling face on the far left symbolizes "no pain" (0 very happy/no pain) and the pain increases from left to right. On the other hand, a crying face on the far right symbolizes "unbearable pain" (10 'hurts worst'). As the numbers increase in this scoring system, facial expressions also change referring to an increase in pain levels.
Through painful procedure completion, an average of 10 minutes
Children's Fear Scale
Time Frame: Through painful procedure completion, an average of 10 minutes
CFS is used for measuring the child's anxiety level. CFS is a scale which makes an evaluation from 0 to 4 consisting of five facial expressions drawn to show expressions that vary from neutral expression (0=no anxiety) to scared face (4=severe anxiety).
Through painful procedure completion, an average of 10 minutes

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Selda Ateş Beşirik, Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

April 1, 2024

Primary Completion (Actual)

February 10, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

March 15, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

August 15, 2024

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

August 15, 2024

First Posted (Actual)

August 19, 2024

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

July 9, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

July 4, 2025

Last Verified

July 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Other Study ID Numbers

  • GO 2024/176

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

Individual participant data that underlie the results reported in this study, after deidentification, will be shared with researchers who provide a methodologically sound proposal.

IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type

  • STUDY_PROTOCOL
  • SAP
  • ICF
  • ANALYTIC_CODE
  • CSR

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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