Effectiveness of virtual reality interventions in promoting healthy eating and physical activity among children: A systematic review

Background Childhood obesity significantly impacts health, making the promotion of healthy behavior (HB) among children crucial to address this issue. Virtual reality (VR) has emerged as a promising tool for encouraging HB in children. Objective This systematic review aims to evaluate the literature on the application of VR in promoting healthy dietary habits and physical activity (PA) among children. Method A systematic search was conducted across Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus databases in January 2024 according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, focusing on English-language studies published between 2013 and 2023. The quality of the studies was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2 and Risk of Bias in Nonrandomized Studies of Interventions tools. This review is registered at PROSPERO, CRD4202347801. Result A total of 25 studies involving participants aged 4–15 years were assessed. Sixteen studies focused on increasing PA through VR interventions, and six studies focused on healthy eating. Most studies utilized nonimmersive ( n = 11) or semi-immersive ( n = 10) VR technologies. Six theories were employed across the studies, and five design strategies were categorized. While most studies reported improvements in PA ( n = 9) and healthy eating ( n = 6), the short durations and small sample sizes limited the assessment of long-term impacts. Conclusion This review reveals the promising potential of VR as an effective tool to enhance PA and promote healthier eating among children. However, it also highlights the need for further rigorous research to explore the long-term effects of VR interventions on child HB change. These findings provide valuable input into the development of more effective VR interventions that can be applied in child health strategies.