Immersive Virtual Reality Program for Parent Home Safety Education to Prevent Child Injury
Disciplines
Maternal and Child Health | Other Computer Engineering | Public Health Education and Promotion
Abstract (300 words maximum)
Injury is the leading cause of death in children under the age of six in the U.S., creating a large public health challenge and a call to action to reduce rates of injury deaths. In 2021, >1 million emergency room visits and >2800 deaths occurred among children under 6 due to unintentional injuries. With most incidents taking place at home, evidence-based parenting programs (EBPP) are a key opportunity to reach parents with injury prevention education, and ultimately to improve outcomes. Parent home safety education has been largely driven by written materials, such as pamphlets, which lack engagement and application. To introduce behavior change, and apply learning concepts in real-world contexts, novel approaches are needed. Using immersive virtual reality (IVR), our team is developing a home safety program for parents of young children aiming to simulate a home environment, allowing parents to learn and practice their home safety and supervision skills without introducing real risk. Behavior change requires skill practice; IVR lends itself to this type of practice, making behavior change more likely. The IVR program can increase parent engagement and can be disseminated to the network of EBPPs in the U.S., many of which have federal funding allotted for them. In line with Human-Centered Design, two phases will be conducted: (1) Design/Ideate, (2) Prototype. Phase 1consists of interviews and focus groups with EBPP providers and parents to obtain feedback on the program. Phase 2consists of beta testing (n=5) and a pilot trial (n=10) of the prototype. We will collect data on parents’ home safety knowledge, ability to identify hazards in a physical space, and user experience. We will assess sustained program impacts by collecting data three months post-baseline. This pilot study will aid in preparation for larger studies and broader program development to ultimately reduce child injury.
Academic department under which the project should be listed
WCHHS - Nursing
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Melissa Osborne
Additional Faculty
(lzhang24@kennesaw.edu) Lei Zhang
(agarefin@kennesaw.edu) Allison Garefino
Immersive Virtual Reality Program for Parent Home Safety Education to Prevent Child Injury
Injury is the leading cause of death in children under the age of six in the U.S., creating a large public health challenge and a call to action to reduce rates of injury deaths. In 2021, >1 million emergency room visits and >2800 deaths occurred among children under 6 due to unintentional injuries. With most incidents taking place at home, evidence-based parenting programs (EBPP) are a key opportunity to reach parents with injury prevention education, and ultimately to improve outcomes. Parent home safety education has been largely driven by written materials, such as pamphlets, which lack engagement and application. To introduce behavior change, and apply learning concepts in real-world contexts, novel approaches are needed. Using immersive virtual reality (IVR), our team is developing a home safety program for parents of young children aiming to simulate a home environment, allowing parents to learn and practice their home safety and supervision skills without introducing real risk. Behavior change requires skill practice; IVR lends itself to this type of practice, making behavior change more likely. The IVR program can increase parent engagement and can be disseminated to the network of EBPPs in the U.S., many of which have federal funding allotted for them. In line with Human-Centered Design, two phases will be conducted: (1) Design/Ideate, (2) Prototype. Phase 1consists of interviews and focus groups with EBPP providers and parents to obtain feedback on the program. Phase 2consists of beta testing (n=5) and a pilot trial (n=10) of the prototype. We will collect data on parents’ home safety knowledge, ability to identify hazards in a physical space, and user experience. We will assess sustained program impacts by collecting data three months post-baseline. This pilot study will aid in preparation for larger studies and broader program development to ultimately reduce child injury.