Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40790204›Full record

Trial reportNutrition journal2025

Preliminary effectiveness of VR-enhanced nutrition education for promoting healthy diets among college students.

Li-Ling Liao, Chia-Kuei Lee, I-Ju Lai, Li-Chun Chang

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in Nutrition journal, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Li-Ling Liao *Department of Public Health, College of Health Science, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan.
Chia-Kuei LeeDepartment of Nursing, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan City, Taiwan.
I-Ju LaiDepartment of Nutrition, I-Shou University, No.8, Yida Rd., Jiaosu Village, Yanchao District, Kaohsiung City, 82445, Taiwan. laii@isu.edu.tw.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9089-9408
Li-Chun Chang *School of Nursing, Chang Gung University of Science and Technology, Gui-Shan District, Taoyuan City, Taiwan.

Funding

Kaohsiung Medical University KMU-TB114007Taiwan National Science and Technology Council NSTC 111-2410-H-037-037-MY2
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundCollege students are at a critical stage for forming long-term dietary habits. Nutrition literacy (NL) plays a key role in enabling informed food choices and supporting overall health. Virtual reality (VR) offers emerging opportunities for nutrition education by providing immersive and interactive learning experiences that may enhance engagement and behavior change. This pilot randomized controlled trial examined the preliminary effectiveness of a VR-enhanced nutrition education program in improving NL, self-efficacy, and dietary behaviors among college students, by comparing outcomes between app-based interventions with and without VR components.

methodsThis pilot randomized controlled trial was conducted from March to June 2023 and approved by the institutional review board (IRB No. NCKU HREC-E-111-022-2). Participants were recruited from a private university in Southern Taiwan and randomly assigned to one of three groups: Control (n = 51), App (n = 48), and App + VR (n = 52). The App group received a 5-week mobile app-based NL program, while the App + VR group received the same program plus three additional VR-based challenge tasks. NL, self-efficacy, and dietary behaviors were assessed at baseline, post-intervention, and one-month follow-up. Group-by-time effects were analyzed using generalized estimating equations.

resultsCompared to baseline, both the App group and App + VR group demonstrated significant improvements in NL, self-rated NL, self-efficacy, and dietary behaviors, whereas no significant changes were observed in the Control group. At post-intervention, both intervention groups outperformed the Control group in self-rated NL and dietary behaviors. The App group showed significant gains in NL test scores, while the App + VR group exhibited greater improvements in self-efficacy. At one-month follow-up, both intervention groups sustained improvements in dietary behaviors. The App group maintained significant gains in NL test scores, whereas the App + VR group sustained improvements in self-efficacy. No statistically significant differences were found between the two intervention groups on any outcome measures at either post-test or follow-up.

conclusionThese findings suggest that different digital formats may support distinct learning outcomes, with immersive technologies like VR potentially contributing to the reinforcement of self-efficacy. Future research is needed to evaluate the long-term impact and cost-effectiveness of VR-based nutrition education across broader populations.

Indexed as

Diet, HealthyHealth EducationHealth PromotionStudentsVirtual RealityAdultFeeding BehaviorFemaleHealth LiteracyHumansMaleMobile ApplicationsPilot ProjectsSelf EfficacyTaiwanUniversitiesCollege studentsDietary behaviorInterventionNutrition literacyVirtual reality

Identifiers

PMID40790204
PMCPMC12337362

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.