Abstract: Objective: To systematically evaluate the effectiveness of virtual reality technology in reducing pain and anxiety among children undergoing needle-related procedures. Methods: We searched CNKI, Wanfang Data, VIP database, CBM, PubMed, Web of Science and other databases from the inception to September 8, 2020. All the studies on virtual reality technology in reducing pain and anxiety among children undergoing needle-related procedures with randomized controlled design and quasi-experimental design were included. The, and meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.3 software after the evaluation of the quality of studies. Results: A total of 8 studies encompassing 729 participants were included. Virtual reality technology had statistical significance on reliving children's self-reported nursing needle-related pain (SMD=-0.46, P<0.001) and needle-related anxiety (SMD=-0.45, P<0.001). Conclusion: Virtual reality technology can relieve pain and anxiety among children undergoing needle-related procedures. Due to the limited number of included studies, more high-quality studies with large sample are needed in the future.

Key words: virtual reality; children; needle-related procedures; pain; anxiety; Meta-analysis