Evaluation of the effectiveness of mobile-based virtual reality experiential learning in oral health education among primary school students in Tianjin
| ISRCTN | ISRCTN13464089 |
|---|---|
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN13464089 |
| ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT) | Nil known |
| Clinical Trials Information System (CTIS) | Nil known |
| Protocol serial number | Sichuan Science and Technology Program 2024YFHZ0079, Tianjin Science and Technology Planning Project 24KPHDRC00450, The Medical Education Research Project of Medical Education Branch of Chinese Medical Association 2023B175 |
| Sponsor | Tianjin Stomatological Hospital,School of Medicine, Nankai University |
| Funders | Tianjin Science and Technology Planning Project,24KPHDRC00450, Sichuan Science and Technology Program,2024YFHZ0079, The Medical Education Research Project of Medical Education Branch of Chinese Medical Association, 2023B175 |
- Submission date
- 13/07/2025
- Registration date
- 17/07/2025
- Last edited
- 29/10/2025
- Recruitment status
- No longer recruiting
- Overall study status
- Completed
- Condition category
- Oral Health
Plain English summary of protocol
Background and study aims
This study is being run by the Tianjin Office for the Prevention and Control of Oral Diseases. It aims to find better ways to teach children about oral health using a virtual simulation learning platform. The goal is to see how well children learn when they go through the platform together with their parents.
Who can participate?
Children in grades 3 to 5 can take part, as long as they don’t have vision or hearing problems that can’t be helped with tools like glasses or hearing aids. A parent or guardian must also be involved in the learning process.
What does the study involve?
Parents will receive a QR code from their child’s school. Scanning the code will take them to a virtual learning platform on their phone. Together with their child, they’ll spend about 5 minutes learning about oral health. Later, the child will fill out a short questionnaire in class, which also takes about 5 minutes.
What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
By taking part, families can learn more about how to take care of their teeth and gums, which may help children build good oral hygiene habits. The study also helps researchers improve oral health education. The only possible inconvenience is if there are technical issues with the phone or platform, but support will be available.
Where is the study run from?
The study is organized by the Tianjin Office for the Prevention and Control of Oral Diseases in China.
When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
All learning and questionnaires are expected to be completed by December 2024. The learning can be done at any time that suits the family.
Who is funding the study?
The Medical Education Research Project of Medical Education Branch of Chinese Medical Association
Sichuan Science and Technology Program (China)
Who is the main contact?
Shuai Nie, nieshuai1988@126.com
Contact information
Public, Scientific, Principal investigator
No. 75, Dagu North Road, Heping District
Tianjin
300000
China
 ORCID ID |
0009-0007-5714-3116 |
|---|---|
| Phone | +86 15222317792 |
| nieshuai1988@126.com |
Study information
| Primary study design | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Study design | Single-center non-randomized controlled trial |
| Secondary study design | Non randomised study |
| Study type | Participant information sheet |
| Scientific title | Evaluation of the effectiveness of mobile-based virtual reality experiential learning in oral health education among primary school students in Tianjin |
| Study objectives | The application of mobile VR improved students’ oral knowledge acquisition. |
| Ethics approval(s) |
Approved 25/11/2024, Medical Ethics Committee of Tianjin Stomatological Hospital (No. 75, Dagu North Road, Heping District, Tianjin, Tianjin, 300000, China; +8602259080681; skqyykjk@tj.gov.cn), ref: PH2024-Q-017 |
| Health condition(s) or problem(s) studied | Oral Health Education among Primary School Students in Tianjin |
| Intervention | A convenience sampling approach was employed to recruit 1,416 children in grades 3–5 from 16 districts of Tianjin City who had previously received traditional oral health education. One week prior to the intervention, parents received a quick response code to access the VR experience and were instructed to guide their children through the smartphone-based learning module. Then, medical staff administered questionnaires to the students in the classroom. The students who experienced the dental VR technology were assigned to the experiential group, while those who did not were classified as the control group, through convenient sampling. |
| Intervention type | Behavioural |
| Primary outcome measure(s) |
Oral health knowledge, attitudes, and technology acceptance measured using a questionnaire survey from December 1, 2024 to December 31, 2024 . |
| Key secondary outcome measure(s) |
Basic characteristics of the students measured using a questionnaire survey from December 1, 2024 to December 31, 2024 . |
| Completion date | 31/12/2024 |
Eligibility
| Participant type(s) | Learner/student |
|---|---|
| Age group | Child |
| Lower age limit | 8 Years |
| Upper age limit | 12 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Target sample size at registration | 1000 |
| Total final enrolment | 1472 |
| Key inclusion criteria | 1. Students currently enrolled in grades 3-5 of primary school and remaining in these grades during the survey period. 2.Students who are willing to participate in the study, and whose guardians have signed the informed consent form. 3.Possessing basic reading comprehension and expression skills, and being able to cooperate in completing research procedures such as questionnaires. |
| Key exclusion criteria | 1. Having severe cognitive impairments, mental illnesses, or other physical diseases that prevent normal participation in virtual learning or evaluations. 2. Sensory impairments (such as visual or hearing impairments) that cannot be improved with assistive tools, resulting in inability to effectively receive virtual simulation-based educational content. |
| Date of first enrolment | 02/12/2024 |
| Date of final enrolment | 31/12/2024 |
Locations
Countries of recruitment
- China
Study participating centre
Tianjin
300000
China
Results and Publications
| Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to share | Yes |
|---|---|
| IPD sharing plan summary | Available on request |
| IPD sharing plan | The datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study will be available upon request from Shuai Nie, nieshuai1988@126.com |
Study outputs
| Output type | Details | Date created | Date added | Peer reviewed? | Patient-facing? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Results article | 28/10/2025 | 29/10/2025 | Yes | No | |
| Participant information sheet | Participant information sheet | 11/11/2025 | 11/11/2025 | No | Yes |
Editorial Notes
29/10/2025: Publication reference added.
14/07/2025: Trial's existence confirmed by Medical Ethics Committee of Tianjin Stomatological Hospital.
