The Effect of Virtual Reality-Based Occupational Health and Safety Training on Workplace Accidents and Occupational Health Literacy Among Adolescents in Vocational Education (no one)

June 20, 2025 updated by: Saglik Bilimleri Universitesi

In Türkiye, Vocational Education Centers (VECs) provide apprenticeship and mastery training as well as vocational course programs under the regulation of the Ministry of National Education. These centers aim to equip learners with practical and theoretical skills aligned with labor market needs. In VECs, students receive theoretical education one to two days per week, while spending four to five days receiving hands-on vocational training at workplaces. As part of this structure, students are insured against occupational accidents and diseases and receive 30% of the minimum wage. Currently, approximately 1.5 million students are enrolled in VECs, with an employment rate of 88%, significantly higher than that of vocational high schools (55%).

The Motor Vehicles Technology field is one of the most populated programs in VECs. Türkiye's rapid advancement in the automotive industry has heightened the demand for a qualified workforce in this area. According to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, Türkiye recognizes every person under 18 years as a child. However, the labor force participation rate among children aged 15-17 has risen to 22.1%. These children often work long hours under unfavorable conditions. Reports indicate that children working in automotive technology suffer from musculoskeletal issues, lack tetanus vaccination, and do not utilize personal protective equipment.

Despite Türkiye's ratification of international conventions addressing child labor, the prevalence of child labor and related adverse social and health consequences remain a challenge. Occupational accidents are alarmingly high among child workers. One critical factor in reducing such incidents is improving Occupational Health Literacy (OHL), defined as the capacity of workers to access, understand, and use information and services to make informed decisions regarding workplace health and safety.

This project aims to reduce work-related accidents and improve the OHL levels of child workers in the Motor Vehicles Technology field through a Virtual Reality (VR) simulation-based occupational health and safety education program. VR simulation provides a three-dimensional, interactive learning environment where users can explore and engage with simulated scenarios. VR is particularly suitable for demonstrating hazardous, costly, or complex processes that are difficult to replicate in classroom settings. According to literature, VR-based learning yields better educational outcomes compared to traditional methods, offering cost-effectiveness, efficient space use, and opportunities for self-directed learning.

The proposed program integrates VR simulations designed to present realistic workplace hazards and safety practices. Through immersive interaction, the program seeks to enhance learners' awareness and behavioral competence regarding occupational risks. This intervention, targeting Generation Z youth, aligns with the urgent need for innovative, tech-supported approaches to safeguard children's health in vocational contexts.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

65

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
      • Istanbul, Turkey
        • Sarıyer Atatürk Vocational Education Center

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
  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Children aged 15 to 18 enrolled in the Motor Vehicles Technology program at Sarıyer Atatürk Vocational Education Center, Residing in Istanbul during the data collection period and able to participate in face-to-face interviews, Officially registered for the 2024-2025 academic year, Regularly attending school, Regularly attending work-based training, Have not previously received virtual reality simulation-based occupational health and safety training, Have no physical or mental disabilities, Capable of using mass communication tools, Have parental consent, Willing to voluntarily participate in the study.

Exclusion Criteria:

Having any physical or mental disabilities, Unwilling to participate in the study, Irregular attendance at school or workplace, Students repeating a grade will be excluded from the study.

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: Prevention
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Virtual reality simulation Participants receive virtual reality-based occupational health and safety
Behavioral: virtual reality simulation
no description, work attempt completed
No Intervention: Control Arm: Participants did not receive any occupational health and safety training.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in occupational health literacy levels
Time Frame: Baseline, 4 weeks, and 8 weeks after the intervention
Occupational health literacy will be measured using a standardized questionnaire before and after the VR-based occupational health and safety training. Score changes will reflect effectiveness.
Baseline, 4 weeks, and 8 weeks after the intervention

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Saglik Bilimleri Universitesi

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 10, 2025

Primary Completion (Actual)

May 20, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

June 18, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

June 20, 2025

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 20, 2025

First Posted (Actual)

June 29, 2025

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

June 29, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 20, 2025

Last Verified

April 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 2025/01
  • 2025-010 (Other Grant/Funding Number: Saglik Bilimleri University)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

Individual participant data (IPD) will not be shared due to institutional policy. Only aggregated findings will be published in scientific articles.

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

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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