Using VR Supermarket for Nutritional Research and Education: A Scoping Review.

Area of Science:

• Nutrition Science
• Behavioral Science
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Childhood obesity is a growing global health concern linked to numerous pathologies.
• Traditional nutrition education methods require innovative approaches for greater impact.
• Virtual reality (VR) shows promise in various medical and educational applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of virtual supermarket exposure on food choices.
• To explore the potential of VR technology in nutrition education.
• To investigate how product appearance, placement, price, and nudging affect decisions in virtual environments.

Main Methods:

• A scoping review of literature published between 2012 and 2024.
• Manual search across Web of Science, SCOPUS, and Google Scholar databases.
• Inclusion of studies utilizing immersive virtual and augmented supermarket environments.

Main Results:

• Higher immersion levels in VR supermarkets are more effective in understanding food choices than lower immersion.
• VR environments provide a sense of presence, enhancing user engagement.
• VR offers a safe and controlled setting for studying decision-making processes.

Conclusions:

• Immersive virtual reality is a powerful tool for nutrition education and understanding food purchasing behavior.
• VR supermarkets can simulate real-world influences on food choices.
• Further research into VR applications for public health interventions is warranted.