Educational VR Game Intervention to Enhance Hygiene Practices in Primary School Children

NCT ID: NCT07168759

Last Updated: 2025-09-11

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

ENROLLING_BY_INVITATION

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

2160 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2023-05-02

Study Completion Date

2025-12-31

Brief Summary

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The goal of this observational study is to investigate if VR game-based educational intervention can enhance primary schoolchildren's compliance with hygiene practices to prevent the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and other upper respiratory pathogens in the community.

The main questions the study aims to answer are, after receiving the VR game-based education intervention:

* Does VR game-based educational intervention improve hygiene-practice compliance in primary schoolchildren?
* What are the bacterial loads on primary schoolchildren's hands?
* What are the rates of infections caused by SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory viruses in primary schoolchildren?

Researchers will compare the interventional group to the control group to see if VR game-based educational intervention can enhance primary schoolchildren's hygiene practices.

Participants will

* Receive in a training programme on hygiene practices through playing VR games for two weeks, 1 hour per week.
* Do a questionnaire on hygiene knowledge before and after receiving the education programme
* Provide hand swabs and saliva samples before and after receiving the education programme

Detailed Description

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This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a VR game (VRG)-based educational program on hygiene practices among primary schoolchildren in Hong Kong. The research design employs a randomized controlled trial with repeated measures.

Participants will be primary schoolchildren aged 6 to 12 who can communicate and read in Chinese. To minimize selection bias, children will remain unaware of their group assignments. The sample size calculation aims for a statistical power of at least 0.8, targeting 2160 participants across 18 school clusters. Thirty-six local primary schools will be randomly assign to the intervention group or the control group in a ratio of 1:1.

The pilot phase will refine the VRG educational program based on feedback from a previous intervention. Two schools will be selected for this pilot, where trained teachers will assist in student recruitment. The main intervention will involve an VRG-based educational program delivered over two to three weeks. Children in the intervention group will engage with VRGs that cover topics such as SARS-CoV-2 and influenza virus transmission, hygiene practices, importance of rapid testing and vaccination in the prevention of upper respiratory tract infections. The control group will receive standard community health education and will be invited to participate in the VRG program after the intervention period.

Each child's involvement will last six months, with assessments occurring at baseline (T1) and at two subsequent intervals: immediately-post (T2), 1-month post (T3). Data collection will include demographic data, questionnaire to assesses hygiene knowledge, videos to record handwashing practices, hand swabs to measures bacterial loads on hands and saliva samples to tests for respiratory viruses.

Conditions

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Healthy Participants

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

PREVENTION

Blinding Strategy

SINGLE

Participants

Study Groups

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Intervention group

School children will participate in a VR game-based education programme

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

VR game -based education program

Intervention Type OTHER

The schoolchildren in the intervention group participate in an innovative VR game-based educational programme featuring: (1) Web-based health education on (i) SARS-CoV-2 and Influenza virus transmission, (ii) proper hand and respiratory hygiene practices and (iii) the importance of rapid screening and vaccination in the prevention of upper respiratory tract infections.

Control group

Schoolchildren in this group will receive the usual health education

Group Type NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

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VR game -based education program

The schoolchildren in the intervention group participate in an innovative VR game-based educational programme featuring: (1) Web-based health education on (i) SARS-CoV-2 and Influenza virus transmission, (ii) proper hand and respiratory hygiene practices and (iii) the importance of rapid screening and vaccination in the prevention of upper respiratory tract infections.

Intervention Type OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Primary schoolchildren aged 6-12 years.
* Able to communicate in Chinese and to read Chinese.

Exclusion Criteria

* Reported mental or physical health disorders.
* Participated in other health educational programs related to hygiene practices 2 months or less before recruitment.
Minimum Eligible Age

6 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

12 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

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The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Locations

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The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Hong Kong, , China

Site Status

Countries

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China

Other Identifiers

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HMRF2025

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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