The Role of Virtual Reality in Enhancing Motor Skills in Children: A Systematic Review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v58.104735Keywords:
virtual reality, motion disorders, motor, technology, childrenAbstract
This research aims to analyze how virtual reality (VR) can enhance movement skills in children. We employed a systematic review model, searching for relevant articles in databases such as PubMed, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect. The search keywords included "virtual reality," "child," "social," and "motor skills." This study's inclusion criteria were articles focused on "virtual reality," "children with motor disorders," and "motor skills," published within the last five years (as of 2019). Articles from less well-known journals were excluded. We identified eight articles that met the inclusion criteria and were suitable for systematic review according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) standards. The findings indicate that VR plays a significant role in improving motor coordination abilities in children. Responses to VR interventions were overwhelmingly positive, showing reductions in physical, cognitive, and emotional stress. Therefore, VR proves to be a valuable tool for physiotherapists and physicians treating children with motor delays. However, some considerations need to be addressed. A few parents have raised concerns about the high costs and the substantial space requirements associated with VR setups.
Keywords: virtual reality, motion disorders, motor, technology, children
References
Ahmadpour, Naseem, Ajit G. Pillai, Sofia Yao, and Andrew Weatherall. 2024. “Building Enriching Realities with Children: Creating Makerspaces That Intertwine Virtual and Physical Worlds in Pediatric Hospitals.” International Journal of Human-Computer Studies 183:103193. doi: 10.1016/J.IJHCS.2023.103193.
Alvarez-Falcón, Samuel, Bo Wang, Emma Taleb, Nathan L. Cheung, Chelsea A. Scriven, Yos Priestley, Mays El-Dairi, and Sharon F. Freedman. 2024. “Performance of VisuALL Virtual Reality Visual Field Testing in Healthy Children.” Journal of American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus. doi: 10.1016/J.JAAPOS.2023.10.004.
Bailey, Jakki O., Jeremy N. Bailenson, Jelena Obradović, and Naomi R. Aguiar. 2019. “Virtual Reality’s Effect on Children’s Inhibitory Control, Social Compliance, and Sharing.” Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology 64:101052. doi: 10.1016/J.APPDEV.2019.101052.
Basha, Maged A., Nancy H. Aboelnour, Sobhy M. Aly, and Fatma Alzahraa H. Kamel. 2022. “Impact of Kinect-Based Virtual Reality Training on Physical Fitness and Quality of Life in Severely Burned Children: A Monocentric Randomized Controlled Trial.” Annals of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine 65(1):101471. doi: 10.1016/J.REHAB.2020.101471.
EbrahimiSani, Soghra, Mehdi Sohrabi, Hamidreza Taheri, Mohammad Tagi Agdasi, and Shahrokh Amiri. 2020. “Effects of Virtual Reality Training Intervention on Predictive Motor Control of Children with DCD – A Randomized Controlled Trial.” Research in Developmental Disabilities 107:103768. doi: 10.1016/J.RIDD.2020.103768.
Flores-Gallegos, Rodrigo, Paulina Rodríguez-Leis, and Thalía Fernández. 2022. “Effects of a Virtual Reality Training Program on Visual Attention and Motor Performance in Children with Reading Learning Disability.” International Journal of Child-Computer Interaction 32:100394. doi: 10.1016/J.IJCCI.2021.100394.
Gandotra, Aditi, Eszter Kotyuk, Anna Szekely, Krisztian Kasos, Luca Csirmaz, and Renata Cserjesi. 2020. “Fundamental Movement Skills in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review.” Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders 78. doi: 10.1016/j.rasd.2020.101632.
García-Pazo, Patricia, Sandra Pol-Castañeda, Cristina Moreno-Mulet, Antonio Pomar-Forteza, and Alba Carrero-Planells. 2023. “Virtual Reality and Critical Care Education in Nursing: A Cross-Sectional Study.” Nurse Education Today 131:105971. doi: 10.1016/J.NEDT.2023.105971.
Gerçeker, G. Özalp, D. Ayar, … EZ Özdemir-Journal of clinical, and undefined 2020. 2020. “Effects of Virtual Reality on Pain, Fear and Anxiety during Blood Draw in Children Aged 5–12 Years Old: A Randomised Controlled Study.” Wiley Online LibraryG Özalp Gerçeker, D Ayar, EZ Özdemir, M BektaşJournal of Clinical Nursing, 2020•Wiley Online Library 29(7–8):1151–61. doi: 10.1111/jocn.15173.
Guo, Su, Shanshan Guan, and Xiaoqian Yan. 2021. “Effects of Early Learning Environment on Early Childhood Development in Rural Areas in China.” Children and Youth Services Review 124. doi: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2021.105978.
Hocking, Darren R., Adel Ardalan, Hisham M. Abu-Rayya, Hassan Farhat, Anna Andoni, Rhoshel Lenroot, and Stan Kachnowski. 2022. “Feasibility of a Virtual Reality-Based Exercise Intervention and Low-Cost Motion Tracking Method for Estimation of Motor Proficiency in Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder.” Journal of Neuroengineering and Rehabilitation 19(1). doi: 10.1186/S12984-021-00978-1.
Kamel, Fatma Alzahraa H., and Maged A. Basha. 2021. “Effects of Virtual Reality and Task-Oriented Training on Hand Function and Activity Performance in Pediatric Hand Burns: A Randomized Controlled Trial.” Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 102(6):1059–66. doi: 10.1016/J.APMR.2021.01.087.
Kaya, Merve, and Zeynep Karaman Özlü. 2023. “The Effect of Virtual Reality on Pain, Anxiety, and Fear during Burn Dressing in Children: A Randomized Controlled Study.” Burns 49(4):788–96. doi: 10.1016/J.BURNS.2022.06.001.
Lawson, Chelsey, Emma L. J. Eyre, Jason Tallis, and Michael J. Duncan. 2021. “Fundamental Movement Skill Proficiency Among British Primary School Children: Analysis at a Behavioral Component Level.” Perceptual and Motor Skills 128(2):625–48. doi: 10.1177/0031512521990330.
Lee, Hoo Kyung, and Jooyeon Jin. 2023. “The Effect of a Virtual Reality Exergame on Motor Skills and Physical Activity Levels of Children with a Developmental Disability.” Research in Developmental Disabilities 132:104386. doi: 10.1016/J.RIDD.2022.104386.
Lyapina, Innara, Elena Sotnikova, Olga Lebedeva, Tatyana Makarova, and Nataliya Skvortsova. 2019. “Smart Technologies: Perspectives of Usage in Higher Education.” International Journal of Educational Management 33(3):454–61. doi: 10.1108/IJEM-08-2018-0257/FULL/XML.
Nègre, Fanny, Maud Lemercier-Dugarin, Chava Kahn-Lewin, Romain Gomet, El Hadi Mohammed Zerdazi, Oulmann Zerhouni, and Lucia Romo. 2023. “Virtual Reality Efficiency as Exposure Therapy for Alcohol Use: A Systematic Literature Review.” Drug and Alcohol Dependence 253:111027. doi: 10.1016/J.DRUGALCDEP.2023.111027.
Page, Matthew J., Joanne E. McKenzie, Patrick M. Bossuyt, Isabelle Boutron, Tammy C. Hoffmann, Cynthia D. Mulrow, Larissa Shamseer, Jennifer M. Tetzlaff, Elie A. Akl, Sue E. Brennan, Roger Chou, Julie Glanville, Jeremy M. Grimshaw, Asbjørn Hróbjartsson, Manoj M. Lalu, Tianjing Li, Elizabeth W. Loder, Evan Mayo-Wilson, Steve McDonald, Luke A. McGuinness, Lesley A. Stewart, James Thomas, Andrea C. Tricco, Vivian A. Welch, Penny Whiting, and David Moher. 2021. “The PRISMA 2020 Statement: An Updated Guideline for Reporting Systematic Reviews.” International Journal of Surgery 88. doi: 10.1016/j.ijsu.2021.105906.
Park, Seung Bo, Yumi Ju, Hyunjin Kwon, Heeok Youm, Min Joo Kim, and Jinwook Chung. 2022. “Effect of a Cognitive Function and Social Skills-Based Digital Exercise Therapy Using IoT on Motor Coordination in Children with Intellectual and Developmental Disability.” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 19(24). doi: 10.3390/IJERPH192416499.
Roostaei, Meysam, Marzieh Babaee, Seyedmostafa Alavian, Narjes Jafari, Seyed Mansoor Rayegani, and Saeed Behzadipour. 2023. “Effects of a Multi-Component Virtual Reality Program on Motor Skills and Functional Postural Control in Children with Hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy.” Heliyon 9(9):e19883. doi: 10.1016/J.HELIYON.2023.E19883.
Salimi-Jazi, Fereshteh, Akanksha Sabapaty, Kyla Santos Dalusag, Claire Abrajano, Jackie Nguyen, Blaine Robinson, Thomas Jon Caruso, Samuel Rodriguez, Gary Hartman, and Stephanie D. Chao. 2024. “Let Kids Play: Using Virtual Reality as a Substitute for General Anesthesia for Minor Procedures in Pediatric Population.” Journal of Pediatric Surgery. doi: 10.1016/J.JPEDSURG.2024.01.002.
Shao, Wenxuan, Yirou Niu, Saikun Wang, Jing Mao, Haiyan Xu, Jie Wang, Chengwei Zhang, and Lirong Guo. 2023. “Effects of Virtual Reality on the Treatment of Amblyopia in Children: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” Journal of Pediatric Nursing 72:106–12. doi: 10.1016/J.PEDN.2023.07.014.
Shoshani, Anat. 2023. “From Virtual to Prosocial Reality: The Effects of Prosocial Virtual Reality Games on Preschool Children’s Prosocial Tendencies in Real Life Environments.” Computers in Human Behavior 139:107546. doi: 10.1016/J.CHB.2022.107546.
Storli, Lise, Ellen Beate Hansen Sandseter, and Håvard Lorås. 2024. “Individual Differences in Children’s Movement Variability in a Virtual Reality Playground Task.” Human Movement Science 93:103171. doi: 10.1016/J.HUMOV.2023.103171.
Sülter, Robin E., Paul E. Ketelaar, and Wolf Gero Lange. 2022. “SpeakApp-Kids! Virtual Reality Training to Reduce Fear of Public Speaking in Children – A Proof of Concept.” Computers & Education 178:104384. doi: 10.1016/J.COMPEDU.2021.104384.
Vanhala, Anssi, Anna Widlund, Johan Korhonen, Eero A. Haapala, Arja Sääkslahti, and Pirjo Aunio. 2024. “Developmental Associations of Fundamental Motor Skills and Executive Functions in Preschoolers — The Role of the Physical Activity and the Effects on Early Numeracy.” Trends in Neuroscience and Education 34:100220. doi: 10.1016/J.TINE.2024.100220.
Wick, Kristin, Claudia S. Leeger-Aschmann, Nico D. Monn, Thomas Radtke, Laura V. Ott, Cornelia E. Rebholz, Sergio Cruz, Natalie Gerber, Einat A. Schmutz, Jardena J. Puder, Simone Munsch, Tanja H. Kakebeeke, Oskar G. Jenni, Urs Granacher, and Susi Kriemler. 2017. “Interventions to Promote Fundamental Movement Skills in Childcare and Kindergarten: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” Sports Medicine 47(10):2045–68. doi: 10.1007/S40279-017-0723-1.
Wong, Joyce, Asad Ghiasuddin, Heather Tamaye, and Andrea Siu. 2020. “Effectiveness of Virtual Reality Gaming on Pain Reduction in Children during PIV/PICC Placement.” Journal of Technology in Behavioral Science 5(4):378–82. doi: 10.1007/S41347-020-00146-7/METRICS.
Yan, Zhiqi, Chen Lv, Qi Chen, and Dawei Shang. 2024. “Impact of User Engagement on Virtual Reality Behavioral Response from the Human–Computer Interaction Perspective toward a Service Context: A Hybrid Statistics and Machine Learning Approach.” Expert Systems with Applications 247:123243. doi: 10.1016/J.ESWA.2024.123243.
Yildiz, Hélène, Alan Reiter, Demetris Vrontis, and Jean Pierre Mouline. 2024. “Interacting in Virtual Reality: When the Proteus Effect Stimulates 3D MMORPG Players to Buy.” Technological Forecasting and Social Change 201:123205. doi: 10.1016/J.TECHFORE.2024.123205.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Retos
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and ensure the magazine the right to be the first publication of the work as licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of authorship of the work and the initial publication in this magazine.
- Authors can establish separate additional agreements for non-exclusive distribution of the version of the work published in the journal (eg, to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
- Is allowed and authors are encouraged to disseminate their work electronically (eg, in institutional repositories or on their own website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as to a subpoena more Early and more of published work (See The Effect of Open Access) (in English).
This journal provides immediate open access to its content (BOAI, http://legacy.earlham.edu/~peters/fos/boaifaq.htm#openaccess) on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge. The authors may download the papers from the journal website, or will be provided with the PDF version of the article via e-mail.
