title: Virtual reality and anxiety in primiparous women during episiotomy repair.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In recent studies, using virtual reality (VR) has been proposed as a nonpharmacological method for anxiety reduction, but until this time, its effects have not been assessed on anxiety during episiotomy repair. This study aimed to determine the effect of audiovisual distraction (VR) on anxiety in primiparous women during episiotomy repair.
  
  
  METHODS
  This clinical trial was conducted on 30 primigravida from May to July 2012 in the maternity unit of the Omolbanin Hospital, Mashhad city, Iran. The samples were divided randomly into two groups with the toss of a coin. Anxiety were evaluated by the numeric 0-10 anxiety self-report, in the first and during labor. However, after delivery, anxiety was measured with the Spilberger scale. Mann-Whitney, Chi-square, Fisher tests, and repeated-measures analysis of variance were used to analyze data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Anxiety scores were not significantly different between the two groups (wearing video-glass and receiving routine care), but anxiety scores were lower in the intervention group during and after repair (P= 0.000).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  VR are safe, appropriate, and nonpharmacologic to decrease and manage the anxiety-associated episiotomy.
authors.affiliation: Midwifery Department, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Nahid Jahani
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Shourab
authors.affiliation: Midwifery Department, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Samira Ebrahimzadeh
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Zagami
authors.affiliation: Midwifery Department, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Nahid
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Golmakhani
authors.affiliation: Nursing Department, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Seyed Reza
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Mazlom
authors.affiliation: Mechanical Engineering Department, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Khajeh Nasir Toosi University of Technology, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nahvi
authors.affiliation: Maternity Care of Omolbanin Hospital, Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Ferial
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pabarja
authors.affiliation: Family Medicine Department, Faculty of Psychiatry, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Mahdi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Talebi
authors.affiliation: Midwifery Department, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Sohaiela Mohamadi
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Rizi
keywords: Anxiety; Iran; episiotomy; virtual reality therapy