The Use of Different Technologies to Provide a Virtual Grocery Store Tour for Nutrition Education

Dietitian-led grocery store tours (GSTs) educate consumers about nutrition. Virtual GSTs could increase access to nutrition education. A feasibility study was conducted to determine participant acceptability and their physiological responses to a virtual GST using immersive virtual reality (IVR), a desktop monitor (PC), or a tablet. Participants were asked to report to the laboratory on three occasions to view a virtual GST. Physiological measurements were collected, and participants completed questionnaires about their feelings of presence, nausea, mood, and enjoyment during the virtual GST. Participants experienced a greater sense of presence (IVR = 5.8, PC = 2.6, tablet = 2.6; p < 0.05) with a greater feeling of nausea (IVR = 1.7, PC = 0.4, tablet = 0.4; p < 0.05) in the IVR treatment. Participants enjoyed the IVR GST more than the tablet GST (IVR = 5.3, PC = 4.6, tablet = 4.1; p < 0.05). There were marginal effects of treatment on heart rate (p < 0.05) but not on other physiological measures. There were no differences in the participants’ willingness to recommend a virtual GST given the use of different technologies to a friend or in the participants’ reported mood. Virtual GSTs, using different technologies, may be a feasible approach to provide nutrition education