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Updated: May 15, 2025
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Published on: April 23, 2014
Pilot Randomized Controlled Study on the Effectiveness of a Virtual Reality-Based Dementia Prevention Program Using
Ching-Hao Chang1, Kuei-Yu Huang2,3, Lou-Hui Kuo1
1Department of Health Promotion and Health Education, College of Education, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei 106, Taiwan.
Background/Objectives:
Dementia is a growing public health issue, especially in rapidly aging societies like Taiwan, where nearly 10% of adults over 65 show signs of cognitive decline. Given that mild cognitive impairment (MCI) serves as a critical stage for early intervention, this study examined the feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of a virtual reality (VR)-based dementia prevention program, specifically designed based on self-regulated learning (SRL) principles to enhance dementia knowledge, health literacy, and self-efficacy among older adults with MCI.
Methods:
A pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) was conducted with 60 older adults aged 65 and above with MCI. Participants were randomly assigned to either an experimental group, which received a VR-based dementia prevention program, or a comparison group, which received routine paper-based educational materials.
Results:
The experimental group demonstrated significant improvements in overall dementia knowledge and all subdomains. Significant gains were also observed in critical health literacy and self-efficacy, though no significant changes were found in overall health literacy.
Conclusions:
The preliminary findings suggest that the SRL-informed VR program showed initial effectiveness in enhancing dementia knowledge, critical health literacy, and self-efficacy among older adults with MCI, highlighting its potential as an innovative approach to dementia prevention education.
