Virtual reality balance training for primary school children

ISRCTN	ISRCTN37850916
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN37850916
Sponsor	Gdansk University of Physical Education and Sport
Funder	Investigator initiated and funded

Submission date: 26/06/2026
Registration date: 30/06/2026
Last edited: 15/09/2026

Recruitment status: No longer recruiting
Overall study status: Completed
Condition category: Other

Prospectively registered

Protocol

Statistical analysis plan

Results

Individual participant data

Plain English summary of protocol

Not provided at time of registration

Contact information

Mr Hongfei Zhang
Public, Scientific, Principal investigator

Gdansk University of Physical Education and Sport
ul. Kazimierza Gorskiego 1
Gdansk
80-336
Poland

Phone	+86 15251895020
Email	zhanghongfei77@126.com

Study information

Primary study design	Interventional
Allocation	Randomized controlled trial
Masking	Blinded (masking used)
Control	Active
Assignment	Parallel
Purpose	School-based physical education and exercise training to improve balance and motor coordination in primary school children.
Scientific title	Effectiveness of virtual reality-based balance training in primary school children: a randomized controlled trial
Study objectives	To compare the effects of immersive virtual reality-based balance and coordination training with conventional balance and coordination training on dynamic balance, static postural stability, and motor coordination in primary school children.
Ethics approval(s)	Approved 06/06/2025, Ethics Committee of Shanxi Engineering Vocational College (No. 40, Xutan East Street, Xiaodian District, Taiyuan, 030013, China; +86 13770306847; 3802541950@qq.com), ref: SEVC-2025-063
Health condition(s) or problem(s) studied	Balance and motor coordination in healthy primary school children
Intervention	Following eligibility screening, participants were randomly allocated in a 1:1 ratio to either the virtual reality training group or the conventional training group. The randomisation sequence was generated using Microsoft Excel. Within sex strata, random numbers were generated using the RAND() function, and participants were allocated in blocks of six. Allocation was implemented by the study team using sequentially numbered, opaque, sealed envelopes. Both programmes were delivered in a school-based physical education setting over 6 weeks, with three supervised 30-minute sessions per week. Each session included a warm-up, a core training period, and a cool-down. The virtual reality group completed 5 minutes of warm-up, 20 minutes of immersive interactive balance and coordination training using the HTC Vive Cosmos system, and 5 minutes of virtual relaxation and stretching. The conventional training group completed 5 minutes of warm-up, 20 minutes of conventional balance, coordination, and body-control exercises, followed by 5 minutes of static stretching and breathing exercises. The same instructor supervised all sessions and monitored safety, attendance, and completion of the scheduled sessions. The Y-Balance Test composite score was calculated from maximal reach distances in the anterior, posteromedial, and posterolateral directions, normalised to limb length. Higher scores indicate better dynamic balance performance. A single-leg stance test with eyes closed was assessed as the time, in seconds, that participants maintained a single-leg stance with eyes closed, with a maximum cut-off of 60 seconds. Longer duration indicates better static postural stability. One-minute rope skipping were assessed as the number of rope-skipping repetitions completed within one minute. Higher counts indicate better performance.
Intervention type	Behavioural
Primary outcome measure(s)	Dynamic balance performance measured using the Y-Balance Test composite score at baseline and immediately after the 6-week intervention
Key secondary outcome measure(s)	Static postural stability measured using a single-leg stance test (seconds) with eyes closed at baseline and immediately after the 6-week intervention Motor coordination and rhythmic movement performance measured using the number of rope-skipping repetitions completed within one minute at baseline and immediately after the 6-week intervention
Completion date	14/11/2025

Eligibility

Participant type(s)
Age group	Child
Lower age limit	8 Years
Upper age limit	10 Years
Sex	All
Target sample size at registration	132
Total final enrolment	132
Key inclusion criteria	1. Primary school children who were eligible to participate in school-based physical education activities 2. No history of vestibular disorders, neurological diseases, or lower-limb injuries within the past 6 months 3. Ability to stand independently for at least 10 minutes 4. Willingness to complete all training sessions and post-intervention assessments 5. Written informed consent provided by parents or legal guardians
Key exclusion criteria	1. Contraindications to virtual reality use, such as epilepsy or severe motion sickness 2. Participation in structured balance or coordination training programmes within the previous 3 months 3. Inability to complete the post-intervention assessments 4. Adverse symptoms during training that made continued participation inappropriate
Date of first enrolment	01/09/2025
Date of final enrolment	01/09/2025

Locations

Countries of recruitment

China

Study participating centres

Results and Publications

Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to share	No

Study outputs

Output type	Details	Date created	Date added	Peer reviewed?	Patient-facing?
Results article		18/08/2026	15/09/2026	Yes	No

Editorial Notes

15/09/2026: Publication reference added.
29/06/2026: Study’s existence confirmed by the Ethics Committee of Shanxi Engineering Vocational College, China.