UL1 Pilot Award - Development of a Virtual Nutrition Lab and Educational Experience: Piloting Immersive Virtual Reality (iVR) with Adolescent’s Living in Rural Communities

Abstract Development of a virtual nutrition lab and educational experience: piloting immersive virtual reality (iVR) with adolescents living in rural communities Youth living in rural areas are at a higher risk of obesity, particularly severe obesity, compared to urban peers, largely due to limited access to preventive health and nutrition resources. Specifically, adolescence is an important developmental period in which to intervene on obesity and chronic disease risk factors, but challenges of recruitment and engagement in research further impede the development of effective and equitable interventions. To address this gap, our team proposes utilizing immersive virtual reality (iVR) technology to enhance the efforts of Cooperative Extension’s 4-H health and wellbeing program, which engages thousands of young people annually. A primary goal of this proposed project is to demonstrate virtual reality’s utility in improving the effectiveness and efficiency of translating nutrition research to practice and community benefit – through the development of a mobile nutrition lab comprised of iVR programs that facilitate understanding of eating behavior and intervention design. This pilot study aims to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of two previously validated iVR programs in a novel adolescent population and community setting: 1) a food buffet designed to simulate real-world food selection tasks and 2) a simulated dietitian-led nutrition education experience. Recruitment and data collection will be conducted in partnership with Kentucky 4-H, an organization that has a strong presence in rural communities. In this proposal, we will consider both technology application and implementation strategy for iVR use within rural communities and an adolescent audience, aiming to develop sustainable and cost-effective methods of conducting research and interventions. The study will address three key aims: (1) evaluate the feasibility of using the iVR food buffet to explore food selection and obesogenic behaviors in rural adolescents, (2) evaluate the acceptability of a virtual nutrition education program led by a digital dietitian, and (3) evaluate the feasibility of iVR technology as an educational tool within 4-H and working with 4-H as a translational research partner. This pilot will lay the foundation for future iterations of these iVR programs to develop tailored interventions aimed at promoting healthy eating and weight management in rural adolescents.