Abstract
BackgroundVirtual reality (VR) is a computer technology that simulates the real world to allow users to communicate with a similar but artificial environment. VR technologies can be used in pregnancy to help mothers gain a better understanding of this significant yet stressful event. The aim of this study was to find and summarize VR applications to help pregnant women during their pregnancy and delivery.MethodsPubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases were searched on November 11th, 2020 to access relevant studies. The following data were extracted from the collected studies: first author’s name, year of publication, country, type of study, sample size, study objective, VR components (hardware and software), data gathering method, and study outcomes. Through a descriptive summary and analysis, the results eventually presented.ResultsNine studies were included in this study. Four studies (44.5%) had used VR technology to reduce the anxiety of pregnant women, four studies (44.5%) had applied VR for decreasing delivery pain, and one study (11%) used VR for exercise trainings. Five studies (56%) used VR headsets and three studies (33.5%) used VR glasses. Most studies showed that VR was a useful method to be used for different purposes in both pregnancy and delivery (n = 8, 89%).ConclusionThe use of VR technology for pregnancy has been increasing in recent years. This technology has different applications in pregnancy, from reducing anxiety and pain to exercise training. However, more studies are required to reach a general common understanding about the efficacy of VR during pregnancy and delivery.
Highlights
Virtual reality (VR) is a computer technology that simulates the real world to allow users to communicate with a similar but artificial environment
In semi-immersive VR, since users are allowed to communicate with the outside environment surrounding them as they are using the technology, users are only partically engaged with the virtural world
The Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) guideline for conducting scoping review studies as the following nine levels was used: defining and aligning the objective and question; developing and aligning the inclusion criteria with the objective and question; describing the planned approach to evidence searching, selection, data extraction, and presentation of the evidence; searching for the evidence; selecting the evidence; extracting the evidence; analysis of the evidence; presentation of the results; summarizing the evidence in relation to the purpose of the review, making conclusions, and noting any implications of the findings were used for conducting this study [17]
Summary
Virtual reality (VR) is a computer technology that simulates the real world to allow users to communicate with a similar but artificial environment. Virtual reality (VR) is recognized as a computer based technology that simulates the real world. Based on the level of presense that VR users experience, VR technology is divided into the three following types: immersive, semi-immersive, and non-immersive. In semi-immersive VR, since users are allowed to communicate with the outside environment surrounding them as they are using the technology, users are only partically engaged with the virtural world. Non-immersive VR, encompasses computer-generated practices on a desktop and users interact with the virtual environment by means of a device such as a mouse or a joystick [2]
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