A Quasi-experimental Test of a Virtual Reality Game Prototype for Adolescent E-Cigarette Prevention.
Saturday, June 19, 2021
Posted by: Natalia Gromov
Weser
VU, Duncan LR, Pendergrass TM, et al.
A Quasi-experimental Test
of a Virtual Reality Game Prototype for Adolescent E-Cigarette Prevention.
Addictive Behaviors. 2021 Jan;112:106639. DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2020.106639.
Objective. To
test the preliminary impact and participant experience/satisfaction of Invite
Only VR: A Vaping Prevention Game (Invite Only VR), an electronic cigarette
(e-cigarette) prevention game prototype using virtual reality (VR) hardware.
Methods. Forty-seven
adolescents (38 boys; mean age = 14.23 years, SD = 0.914) were enrolled to test
the preliminary impact of Invite Only VR on knowledge, perceived likelihood of
using e-cigarettes, perceptions of harm, attitudes, social norms, and
self-efficacy to refuse e-cigarettes using a pre/post design.
Experience/satisfaction was measured following gameplay. Paired-samples t-tests
and associated effect sizes were used to assess changes in the dependent
variables. Descriptive statistics were used to report on gameplay experience/satisfaction.
Results. From
pre- to post-gameplay, players significantly increased in knowledge (t(34) =
-5.594, p < .001, Cohen's d = 0.946) and perceptions of e-cigarette harm
(t(34) = -3.370, p = .002, Cohen's d = 0.530) and decreased their perceived
likelihood of using e-cigarettes in the future (t(35) = 2.140, p = .039,
Cohen's d = 1.274). No significant change was found for attitudes towards
e-cigarettes, social norm perceptions, nor refusal self-efficacy. Participants
reported that they enjoyed playing the game (M = 3.00, SD = 0.99) and that they
would tell their friends to play (M = 3.08, SD = 0.91).
Conclusions. Invite
Only VR may help players develop knowledge and correct harm perceptions
regarding e-cigarettes while reducing their perceived likelihood of using them
in the future. Participant enjoyment also provides an initial indication that
the intervention may be acceptable for use with adolescents.
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