Environmental management education using immersive virtual reality in asthmatic children in Korea: a randomized controlled study (secondary publication)

Awareness of environmental control is considered a significant influence on the performance of asthma self-management behaviors, which are involved in maintaining effective asthma control. This study aimed to investigate whether immersive virtual reality (VR) education is effective in environmental control education for asthmatic children in Korea. Thirty asthmatic children aged 9 to 13 years with aeroallergen sensitization were enrolled. Environmental control education for asthmatic participants was performed using immersive VR (VR group) or conventional leaflets provided by asthma specialists (control group). Five questionnaires, on awareness of environmental control, memory, assessment of intent to act, a satisfaction test, and an Asthma Control Test (ACT), were used to estimate the effects of education. The scores for awareness of environmental control, memory, and intent to act significantly increased after education in both groups, and the scores remained high until 4 weeks after education. Both groups’ ACT scores were consistently high before and 4 weeks after education. Satisfaction scores were very high in the VR group. The increased scores in awareness of environmental control and intent to act indicate that the environmental control education using VR is worthy of attention as an effective educational tool for asthma management. Further developed techniques, including active environmental interventions by participants in VR, could be applied to effective asthma management.