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Immersive Virtual Reality Dietitian Improves Portion Control Self-Efficacy and Portion Size Estimation Accuracy.
Bianca C Braga1, John Long1, Sara Maksi1
1Department of Nutrition, College of Human Health and Development, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA.
Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior
|February 28, 2025
Summary
Nutrition education delivered via immersive virtual reality (iVR) and in-person methods showed similar effectiveness for improving portion control self-efficacy. The updated iVR application, IVAN 2, demonstrated higher efficacy than IVAN 1.
Area of Science:
- Nutrition Science
- Virtual Reality Technology
- Health Education
Background:
- Portion control is crucial for managing weight and overall health.
- Traditional nutrition education methods may have limitations in engagement and accessibility.
- Immersive virtual reality (iVR) offers a novel platform for delivering educational content.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the efficacy of nutrition education delivered in-person versus through an iVR application (IVAN).
- To evaluate an updated version of the iVR application (IVAN 2) against the original (IVAN 1).
- To develop and assess a portion size estimation task within an iVR environment.
Main Methods:
- Two randomized controlled experiments were conducted with 92 adult participants.
- Participants were assigned to either in-person nutrition education, IVAN 1, or IVAN 2.
- Changes in portion control self-efficacy and portion size overestimation were measured.
Main Results:
- Both in-person and iVR (IVAN 1 and IVAN 2) nutrition education improved portion size self-efficacy.
- No significant differences in efficacy were found between in-person and iVR delivery in Experiment 1.
- IVAN 2 showed improved portion size self-efficacy and reduced portion size overestimation compared to IVAN 1 in Experiment 2.
Conclusions:
- Nutrition education on portion sizes is equally effective when delivered via iVR or in-person.
- The updated iVR application (IVAN 2) is more effective than the initial version (IVAN 1).
- iVR-based portion size estimation tasks can be valuable tools for assessing estimation abilities.
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