Effect of Virtual Reality-Based Handwashing Education on Knowledge, Skills, and Emotional Indicators in Preschool Children (VR-HAND)

May 18, 2026 updated by: Istanbul Arel University

The Effect of Virtual Reality-Based Handwashing Education on Knowledge, Skills, and Emotional Indicators in Preschool Children: A Randomized Controlled Trial

A randomized controlled trial designed to evaluate the effects of virtual reality-based handwashing education on handwashing knowledge, skills, and emotional indicators in preschool children aged 5-6 years. The study will be conducted in a kindergarten setting in Istanbul, Turkey, with a total of 66 children who meet the inclusion criteria. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of three groups: a virtual reality-based education group, a traditional handwashing education group, or a control group receiving no intervention. Data will be collected using a sociodemographic information form, a handwashing knowledge form, a handwashing skill assessment form, and the Children's Emotional Indicators Scale. Outcomes will be assessed at baseline and 2 weeks after the intervention.

Study Overview

Status

Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Hand hygiene is one of the most effective and cost-efficient methods for preventing infectious diseases, particularly among preschool children, who are more vulnerable due to their developing immune systems and limited awareness of hygiene practices. Although traditional educational approaches can improve children's knowledge of hand hygiene, these methods may not always be sufficient to maintain long-term behavioral change or engagement. Therefore, innovative, interactive, and developmentally appropriate educational strategies are needed to enhance both cognitive learning and behavioral performance in early childhood. Virtual reality (VR) technology has emerged as an innovative educational tool that provides immersive, interactive, and multisensory learning experiences. By increasing children's attention, motivation, and active participation, VR-based education may contribute to improved learning outcomes, skill acquisition, and emotional engagement.

This study is designed as a randomized controlled trial with three parallel groups: a virtual reality-based handwashing education group, a traditional handwashing education group, and a control group receiving no intervention. The study will be conducted in a preschool setting in Istanbul, Turkey. A total of 66 children aged 5-6 years who meet the inclusion criteria will be enrolled in the study and randomly assigned to one of the three groups. Children in the virtual reality group will receive handwashing education supported by virtual reality technology in an immersive learning environment. Children in the traditional education group will receive standard handwashing education through conventional teaching methods, including verbal instruction and demonstration. Children in the control group will continue their routine preschool activities without receiving any handwashing education during the study period. Data will be collected using the Sociodemographic Information Form, Handwashing Knowledge Form, Handwashing Skill Assessment Form, and the Children's Emotional Indicators Scale. Outcome measures, including handwashing knowledge, handwashing skills, and emotional indicators, will be assessed at baseline and 2 weeks after the intervention. This study aims to compare the effectiveness of virtual reality-based and traditional handwashing education on improving knowledge, practical skills, and emotional responses related to hand hygiene in preschool children. The findings are expected to contribute to the development of evidence-based, technology-supported educational interventions in pediatric health promotion and infection prevention.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

66

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 Contact

Study Locations

  • Turkey (Türkiye)
    • Beylikduzu
      • Istanbul, Beylikduzu, Turkey (Türkiye)
        • Sehit Bilal Ozcan Primary School

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 aged 5-6 years
  • Enrolled in a preschool institution
  • Able to understand and follow instructions in Turkish
  • No physical, visual, auditory, or cognitive impairment that would prevent participation in the intervention
  • Willing to participate in the study
  • Written informed consent obtained from parents

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Children aged below 5 or above 6 years
  • Children with neurological, visual, auditory, or balance disorders that may interfere with virtual reality use
  • Children with orthopedic or motor impairments affecting handwashing ability
  • Children who have previously used virtual reality devices
  • Children whose parents do not provide consent
  • Children who experience discomfort, fear, or adverse reactions during the intervention

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 Group
Participants in this group will receive virtual reality-based handwashing education.
Behavioral: Virtual Reality-Based Handwashing Education
An educational intervention using virtual reality technology to teach proper handwashing techniques in an interactive and immersive way.
Active Comparator: Traditional Education Group
Participants in this group will receive traditional handwashing education using standard teaching methods.
Behavioral: Traditional Handwashing Education
Standard handwashing education delivered using conventional teaching methods such as verbal instruction and demonstration.
No Intervention: Control Group
Participants in the control group will not receive virtual reality-based or traditional handwashing education during the study period and will continue their routine preschool activities.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Handwashing Knowledge Level
Time Frame: Baseline and 2 weeks after the intervention
Handwashing knowledge will be assessed using the Handwashing Knowledge Form developed based on the literature and expert review. The total score ranges from 0 to 10, with higher scores indicating higher levels of handwashing knowledge.
Baseline and 2 weeks after the intervention

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Handwashing Skill Level
Time Frame: Baseline and 2 weeks after the intervention
Handwashing skills will be evaluated using the Handwashing Skill Assessment Form consisting of standard handwashing steps. The total score ranges from 0 to 16, with higher scores indicating better handwashing skills.
Baseline and 2 weeks after the intervention
Emotional Indicators
Time Frame: Baseline and 2 weeks after the intervention

Emotional indicators will be assessed using the Children's Emotional Indicators Scale. Higher scores indicate higher levels of emotional responses during the educational process.

Time Frame:
Baseline and 2 weeks after the intervention

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Istanbul Arel University

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

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 (Estimated)

May 25, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

June 15, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

December 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

April 1, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

April 1, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

April 8, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

May 20, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 18, 2026

Last Verified

May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 2026/05

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

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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