The Young Adults' Experiences With Virtual Reality (YAES VR) Study

Not Applicable

Not yet recruiting

• Conditions: Population Health

• Registration Number: NCT06917391
• Lead Sponsor: NYU Langone Health

Brief Summary

The purpose of this study is to test the effect of virtual reality (VR) food marketing exposure (versus VR non-food control) on snack consumption, purchase intention, hunger, and arousal in black and white young adults. Participants will be randomized to either the VR food marketing condition or VR non-food control. Study participation duration will be 2 hours during a one-time, single visit.

Detailed Description

Food marketing has been unequivocally linked to poor diet and risk of excessive weight gain in young people. Food companies disproportionately target Black consumers with more advertisements ("ads") and the least healthy ads, contributing to nutritional disparities and nutrition-related diseases. To expand their reach, food companies have developed virtual reality (VR) marketing experiences that are engaging, highly sophisticated, and may more powerfully elicit biological signals precipitating a motivation to consume foods. Yet, little is known about how exposure to VR food marketing influences biological and behavioral outcomes among Black young adults. The interactional role of food/nutrition insecurity and exposure to VR food marketing among Black young adults is also unknown. There is a critical need to understand the biological and behavioral effects of VR food marketing among Black communities while the technology is in its infancy.

Study Timeline

• Status Verified: 2025-03
• Study First Submitted: 2025-03-25
• Study First Submitted QC: 2025-03-31
• Last Update Submitted: 2025-03-31
• Study Start: 2025-04
• Study First Posted: 2025-04-08
• Last Update Posted: 2025-04-08
• Primary Completion: 2028-03-31
• Study Completion: 2028-03-31

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 200

Inclusion Criteria

1. 18-24 years old;
2. self-identify as Black or white in order to determine racial/ethnic differences in responses to unhealthy VR-based food and beverage marketing;
3. self-report normal or corrected-to-normal vision from glasses or contacts;
4. self-report comfort and ability to walk around within a VR paradigm;
5. able to read, write, understand, and respond to all study materials (including the VR paradigm) in English
6. residing in the NYC-metropolitan area in order to be available for in-person study
7. capacity and willingness to provide consent

Exclusion Criteria

1. report a history of disorders causing motion sickness or have a history of significant motion sickness, which could be triggered within the VR paradigm
2. self-report dietary restriction, such as food allergies or veganism, which may lead to different effects when exposed to food marketing;
3. Self-report disliking 50% or more of the snacks that will be offered during the laboratory test snack as determined by a score of 5 or less on the food preferences questionnaire, which may have a confounding effect on consumption;
4. report being pregnant or breastfeeding, which may affect hunger;
5. smoke or consume tobacco, which decreases salivary flow; or
6. self-report being very hungry based on 100 mm VAS hunger rating, which minimizes the burden to participants to fast prior to the visit and maximizes the ability to detect differences between groups.Those excluded for being very hungry will have the option of returning to the visit on a different day.

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Snack consumption	Post-VR exposure (up to 20 minutes)	Following the VR exposure, snacks (health and unhealthy snacks) will be offered to participants with the instruction to eat ad libitum for 20 minutes. Snack consumption will be measured using a Cardinal Detecto stainless steel scale which transmits weight information wirelessly.
Purchase intention via self-report questionnaire	Post-VR exposure (~5-10 minutes)	Purchase intention will be assessed using a self-report questionnaire. Questions include: How likely are you to buy food from any fast-food restaurant in the next 2 weeks? Scores will range from 0 ("Not at all") to 5 ("Highly likely"). Higher scores indicate a higher likelihood to purchase food from the restaurant.
Change in salivary flow	Baseline, post-VR exposure (~5-10 minutes)	A dental roll will be placed horizontally under participants' tongues for 30 seconds pre- and post-VR exposure. Salivation will not be collected during the exposure so as not to disrupt the immersion. An increase in salivary flow indicates hunger.
Change in electrodermal activity	From baseline to post-VR exposure, up to 15 minutes	Electrodermal activity refers to the changes in the electrical properties of the skin due to sweat secretion. Electrodermal activity is measured through skin conductance, two Ag-AgCl electrodes will be taped to the distal phalanx of the index and ring fingers on the participants' non-dominant hand. Electrodermal activity will be measured. A stronger electrodermal response indicates arousal.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

NYU Langone Health; 🇺🇸 New York, New York, United States