Currently submitted to: Journal of Medical Internet Research
Date Submitted: Apr 7, 2025
Open Peer Review Period: Apr 8, 2025 - Jun 3, 2025
(currently open for review)
Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited. Preprints - unless they show as "accepted" - should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.
Development and Effect of Prenatal Education Programs Using Virtual Reality for Pregnant Women Hospitalized with Preterm Labor: An Experimental Study
ABSTRACT
Background:
Pregnant women hospitalized due to Preterm labor experience anxiety, stress, and physical discomfort, which may affect uterine contractions and cervical changes, highlighting the need for effective prenatal management. Virtual reality-based prenatal education programs offer enhanced interaction and engagement for these women. Cox’s Interaction Model of Client Health Behavior (IMCHB) is appropriate for nursing interventions targeting their complex needs. This study developed a virtual reality prenatal education program based on IMCHB and evaluated its effectiveness.
Objective:
We aimed to develop, implement, and evaluate the effects of a prenatal educational program using VR technology for pregnant women hospitalized Preterm labor.
Methods:
This program was based on Cox’s (2003) Interaction Model of Client Health Behavior (IMCHB) as the theoretical basis. To develop VR prenatal education programs, we applied the ADDIE model which was conducted in five stages: analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation. The study comprises a pre-and post-test design with a non-equivalent control group. A total of 15 subjects were analyzed in the experimental group, while 16 subjects were analyzed in the control group, both comprising pregnant women in hospitalized Preterm labor. Data collected from these hospitals were analyzed using descriptive statistics, a pre-test of homogeneity, Chi-square test, Fisher's exact test, and independent t-tests analysis of variaThe experimental group that participated in the prenatal education program using VR was measured significantly lower than the control group in terms of state anxiety (p<.009), stress of Preterm labor (p<.002), the frequency of uterine contractions (p<.004), and uterine contraction intensity (p<.001), and significantly higher in terms of the degree of change in cervical length (p<.009). Practice behavior (p<.047) and self-efficacy of pregnancy health care (p<.001) were found to be significantly high. nce.
Results:
The experimental group that participated in the prenatal education program using VR was measured significantly lower than the control group in terms of state anxiety (p<.009), stress of Preterm labor (p<.002), the frequency of uterine contractions (p<.004), and uterine contraction intensity (p<.001), and significantly higher in terms of the degree of change in cervical length (p<.009). Practice behavior (p<.047) and self-efficacy of pregnancy health care (p<.001) were found to be significantly high.
Conclusions:
Prenatal education using VR was confirmed to be effective in physical, emotional, and educational aspects by providing professional and integrated educational intervention according to the complex nursing needs of hospitalized Preterm labor patients.
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