NCT06993259

Effect of Virtual Reality and Serious Games on Pain, Fear, Anxiety, and Satisfaction During Skin Prick Testing in Children

Comparison of the Effectiveness of Virtual Reality and Serious Games on Pain, Fear, Anxiety, and Satisfaction During Skin Prick Testing in Children Aged 6-12 Years: A Randomized Controlled Trial

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 90 (actual)
• Sponsor: Trakya University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 6 Years – 12 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

This randomized controlled trial evaluated the effectiveness of virtual reality (VR) and serious gaming (SG) in reducing pain, fear, and anxiety, and improving satisfaction during skin prick testing (SPT) in children aged 6-12 years. A total of 90 children were randomly assigned to three groups: standard care (control), VR, or SG. The VR group watched a 360° animated video using a headset, while the SG group played Subway Surfers on a tablet. Pain (WBFPS), fear (CFS), anxiety (CAS-S), and satisfaction (VAS) were measured post-procedure.

Conditions

• Pain
• Anxiety
• Fear
• Allergy

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DEVICE	Virtual Reality	Children in the virtual reality (VR) group watched a 360° Ice Age video via headset starting three minutes before and continuing throughout the allergy test. The video, selected by pediatric experts, was age-appropriate, visually rich, and emotionally neutral. VR provided immersive distraction to reduce pain, fear, and anxiety. After the test, children and parents rated pain (WBFPS), fear (CFS), anxiety (CAS-S), and satisfaction through structured forms.
DEVICE	Serious game	Children in the serious game group played Subway Surfers on a tablet starting three minutes before and continuing throughout the skin prick test. The game was chosen by pediatric experts for its age-appropriateness and ability to sustain attention without overstimulation. As a fast-paced, interactive tool, it served as an effective distraction to reduce pain, fear, and anxiety. After the procedure, children and parents rated pain (WBFPS), fear (CFS), anxiety (CAS-S), and satisfaction using structured feedback forms.

Timeline

• Start date: 2025-01-01
• Primary completion: 2025-05-08
• Completion: 2025-05-15
• First posted: 2025-05-28
• Last updated: 2025-05-28

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Turkey (Türkiye)