Citation

Woolf AD, Jacobson J, Flanagan S, Weinstock P. Clin. Pediatr. 2023; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2023, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/00099228231169262

PMID

37082793

Abstract

Poisonings and household injuries are frequent events among toddlers. We developed VirtualSafeHome (VSH)-a novel self-contained, Internet-based home-safety learning tool-to improve awareness of household hazards. Study aims were to investigate VSH usage characteristics. A prototype, screen-based VSH kitchen was built in Unity and delivered through the web using 3DVista and Wix. Players spot and click 21 embedded hazards. A unique feature is the ability to capture the "child's perspective" in identifying hazards. We recruited a convenience sample of adults in 2021-2022. Outcomes included number of hazards discovered, session duration, and pretest/posttest knowledge scores. Twenty-four adults identified a median 15.5 hazards; median playing time was 1022 seconds. Players reported satisfaction with ease of navigation and game features. Mean pretest/posttest knowledge scores rose from 2.0 to 2.79 (P <.035). A web-enabled video game can provide easily accessed, enjoyable training on home safety.

Language: en

Keywords

injury prevention; virtual reality; childhood injury; gaming; home safety; video gaming; VirtualSafeHome