The Effect of Metaverse- and Virtual Reality-Supported Education in the Digital Breastfeeding Museum on Mothers' Breastfeeding Knowledge Level, Self-efficacy, and Success

Breastfeeding is the most ideal way to ensure healthy growth and nutrition for infants. Breast milk is naturally produced to meet the nutritional needs of a newborn. With its unique composition tailored to the specific needs of the developing infant, breast milk is the most appropriate source of nutrition for newborns. Currently low breastfeeding rates are considered a major public health concern. Therefore, promoting breastfeeding is a public health priority. Recognized globally as a fundamental source of nutrition for nearly all infants, breastfeeding gains further importance due to its short- and long-term benefits. Given that breastfeeding benefits not only the baby but also maternal health, providing breastfeeding support to mothers has long been a focus of many national and international health organizations.

In the 21st century, emerging technologies offer alternative educational approaches. These technologies add new dimensions to the learning process and provide more effective educational methods. Virtual reality (VR), with its ability to digitally model the physical world, is one of the technologies used in supplementary education and training. VR refers to computer-generated simulations of real-life environments or scenarios. The Metaverse, on the other hand, is a digital universe where individuals interact through personalized avatars. A review of the literature reveals that there are very few studies using VR technology in breastfeeding education; only two studies have been found to provide such training. No studies were found using a Metaverse-based approach.

This study explores the potential of Metaverse and VR technologies in the field of education and introduces an innovative method for breastfeeding education. Aiming to fill the gap in the literature, a Metaverse- and VR-supported digital breastfeeding education museum was designed as an innovative educational tool for both mothers and educators. The educational content consists of instructional videos, informative written boards, and educational visuals. This material has the potential to offer pregnant women multimodal learning opportunities through visual, auditory, and written channels. Compared to traditional methods, this innovative approach can make education more engaging, increase satisfaction levels, enhance knowledge, improve self-efficacy, and thereby support breastfeeding success.

This study aims to determine the effects of Metaverse- and virtual reality-supported education in a digital breastfeeding museum on mothers' breastfeeding knowledge, self-efficacy, and success. The study was designed as a randomized controlled experimental study. The sample consisted of primiparous pregnant women who applied for the first time to antenatal education programs at three hospitals in Turkey between July 2023 and April 2024, during their third trimester, and had no prior breastfeeding experience. Participants were randomly assigned to groups using a simple randomization method. A total of 53 primiparous pregnant women were randomly assigned to the intervention group (n=28) and control group (n=25). While the intervention group received Metaverse- and VR-supported training in the digital breastfeeding museum, the control group received the routine antenatal education program.

The educational material of the study was the Metaverse- and VR-supported digital breastfeeding museum. A VR web platform (an online virtual reality application enabling interaction through avatars) was used to develop the educational material, allowing users to create 3D virtual environments, provide interactive content, and interact with other users in real time. This platform offered a Metaverse universe that users could explore through their avatars. Through the web platform, a digital museum environment was created, consisting of six different educational rooms: basic principles of breastfeeding, breast milk production and secretion process, breastfeeding positions and considerations during breastfeeding, implementation of breastfeeding and evaluation criteria, milk expression techniques and storage methods, and breastfeeding-related problems. This environment could be explored by participants using VR headsets (Meta Quest 2). The museum content consisted of photo frames, written boards, and instructional videos placed on the walls. The educational application began with mothers wearing the VR headset and using hand controllers to enter the virtual museum. Participants accessed educational content through their personalized avatars. They had the opportunity to engage in multimodal learning through visual, auditory, and written content and spent approximately one hour in the museum.