Effects of Virtual Reality on Pain and Anxiety During Children's Circumcision: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Background: Circumcision-a common pediatric procedure-can cause significant pain and anxiety. Virtual reality has been proposed as a nonpharmacological intervention to alleviate these negative experiences.

Objective: This systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the effects of virtual reality interventions on pain and anxiety in children undergoing circumcision.

Methods: This study comprehensively searched PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library for articles published from database inception to October 2, 2023. Randomized controlled trials that investigated the effects of virtual reality interventions on pain and anxiety during circumcision in children were included. The Cochrane risk-of-bias tool was used to appraise the included studies. The primary outcomes were pain and anxiety scores.

Results: Three randomized controlled trials and four data sets involving a total of 224 children were included in our meta-analysis. Virtual reality interventions significantly reduced children's pain and anxiety scores.

Conclusions: Virtual reality interventions are promising nonpharmacological strategies for alleviating children's pain and anxiety during circumcision. Pediatric healthcare professionals use virtual reality interventions to create a child-friendly and healthy healthcare environment.

Keywords: Anxiety; Circumcision; Fear; Meta-analysis; Pain; Virtual reality.