Effects of Virtual Reality and Nature Sounds on Pain and Anxiety in Women Having Cesarean Section

NCT ID: NCT06668428

Last Updated: 2025-08-01

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 80 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2024-12-24
• Study Completion Date: 2025-06-15

Brief Summary

This study was conducted to determine the effects of virtual reality application on pain and anxiety in women who gave birth by caesarean section. It was applied to women who had given birth by caesarean section at a public hospital in northern Turkey, voluntarily agreed to participate in the study, and were randomly assigned to the intervention (n=40) and control (n=40) groups. Women in the intervention group were taught how to use virtual reality goggles. After the first mobilisation, women were shown a nature landscape video through virtual reality goggles (VRG) accompanied by nature sounds for an average of 20 minutes. The aim of this application was to enable women to view nature images more effectively accompanied by nature sounds, thereby helping them to focus on the images and sounds, distract their attention, relax, and escape the tension of their surroundings. The application was carried out with the women in a semi-reclining position and without sleeping. The same application was applied to each woman, and the glasses were disinfected with Dermosept surface disinfectant, which provides cold sterilisation, before the application. No application was made to the women in the control group; only the hospital's routine care was applied. The data were collected by the researcher through face-to-face interviews based on the statements of women after caesarean section.

Conditions

Obstetrics and Gynaecology; Nursing; Caesarean Section; Pain; Anxiety

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: SUPPORTIVE_CARE
• Blinding Strategy: DOUBLE

Study Groups

Control Group with Standard Care

Participants in the control group did not undergo any intervention other than routine post-caesarean care (verbal information about the procedure and brief written information about the procedure are planned to be provided).

Group Type: NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Control Group Using Virtual Reality Glasses

The researcher informed the women in the intervention group about the study, introduced them to the virtual reality glasses after obtaining written consent, and taught them how to use the glasses. Subsequently, the data collection form, State Anxiety Scale, and visual analogue scale rating scale for pain were administered face-to-face to both groups. After the first mobilisation, postpartum women were shown a nature landscape video through virtual reality glasses (VRG) accompanied by nature sounds for an average of 20 minutes. Each woman watched the same video. Pain and anxiety were reassessed after the application. The same application was performed for each woman, and the goggles were disinfected with Dermosept surface disinfectant, which provides cold sterilisation, prior to the application.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Virtual Reality Glasses

Intervention Type: DEVICE

Pharmacological and non-pharmacological methods are applied in the management of pain and anxiety after cesarean section (Tetik \& Tekinemre, 2017). In addition to medical treatment during the post-cesarean care process, complementary and supportive non-pharmacological approaches can be used to address the woman holistically and provide multi-faceted contributions to the health of the mother and baby (Ali, 2022; Bayraktar, 2023). One of the non-pharmacological approaches, virtual reality glasses, is a device that provides two or three-dimensional environments to stimulate our senses by creating illusions of images (Appel et al., 2021). SGG creates a therapeutic effect by diverting attention, provides relaxation, and can thus be used in the management of pain and anxiety (Ayed et al., 2019). It has been determined that virtual reality glasses are an effective method in the management of pain and anxiety in the field of nursing (Akıncı \& Aydın Özkan, 2024).

Interventions

Virtual Reality Glasses

Pharmacological and non-pharmacological methods are applied in the management of pain and anxiety after cesarean section (Tetik \& Tekinemre, 2017). In addition to medical treatment during the post-cesarean care process, complementary and supportive non-pharmacological approaches can be used to address the woman holistically and provide multi-faceted contributions to the health of the mother and baby (Ali, 2022; Bayraktar, 2023). One of the non-pharmacological approaches, virtual reality glasses, is a device that provides two or three-dimensional environments to stimulate our senses by creating illusions of images (Appel et al., 2021). SGG creates a therapeutic effect by diverting attention, provides relaxation, and can thus be used in the management of pain and anxiety (Ayed et al., 2019). It has been determined that virtual reality glasses are an effective method in the management of pain and anxiety in the field of nursing (Akıncı \& Aydın Özkan, 2024).

Intervention Type: DEVICE

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Volunteering to participate in the study
• Being over 18 years of ageBeing able to read and write in Turkish
• Giving birth at term, having a single, live and healthy baby
• The baby being with the mother
• Having a healthy/risk-free pregnancy
• Having had spinal anesthesia.

Exclusion Criteria

• Having a diagnosed psychiatric disease,
• Having a mental disability and communication problem,
• Having a vision or hearing problem,
• Developing complications during or after a cesarean section,
• Having any obstacles to postpartum mobilization.

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Eligible Sex: FEMALE
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

Ondokuz Mayıs University

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Nazlı Baltacı

Associate Professor, phD

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Nazlı Baltacı, Assoc. Prof., phD

Role: STUDY_DIRECTOR

baltacinazli@gmail.com

Gizem Türkmen, MSc Student

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

gizemturkkmen19@gmail.com

Locations

Gynecology and Obstetrics Department affiliated to the Gynecology and Obstetrics Department of Samsun Education and Research Hospital

Samsun, , Turkey (Türkiye)

Countries

Turkey (Türkiye)

Other Identifiers

OMU-TURKMEN-2024/367

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id