Older People
Conditions
Keywords
Elders, Attention, Emotion, natural environment, virtual reality
Brief summary
The objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of virtual natural environment interventions on attention and mood among community-dwelling older adults in Taiwan. It was hypothesized that virtual reality combined with natural environments will improve attention to varying degrees and produce mood and physiological health outcomes in the elderly. This will be assessed by comparing the effects of virtual natural interventions with actual urban and natural interventions. Participants will randomly assign to virtual nature, actual nature, or actual urban group for a single 20-minute environmental session.
Detailed description
This study will examine the effect of virtual natural environment intervention on attention and mood among community-dwelling older adults in Taiwan. This consist 3 parallel groups and 2 assessment periods. Participants in communities will be randomly assigned to virtual nature, actual nature, or actual urban group for a single 20-minute environmental session. Data will be collected at baseline and after intervention. This study recruits older adults from community locations in Taipei, Taiwan. Since no similar studies have been conducted before, the medium effect size 0. 25 is assumed, using the F-test analysis of variance, α = 0.05, power = 0.80, calculated the required total of 120 participants. Data is collected using mood and restorative questionnaires, attention tests, and a digital heart variability device. Statistical analyses will be performed using generalized estimating equations.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALExperimental group: Actual nature group
Participants will go to the park and sit still for 20 minutes.The natural environment site is the same as the video scenes used in the virtual natural environment intervention, located in a natural park in Taipei City.
BEHAVIORALExperimental group: Virtual nature group
Participants will experience the virtual reality natural environment by the researcher for 20 minutes.The 360-degree panoramic natural environment scenes were from a natural park in Taipei City.Considering the elderly user experience, this study utilized standalone immersive virtual reality headset. Once wearing the goggles in a comfortable seated position, participants engaged in a 20-minute virtual reality environment experience.
BEHAVIORALControl group: Actual urban group
Participants will sit still for 20 minutes in a city environment.The urban environment is selected within the community's urban landscape.
Sponsors
National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
SINGLE (Outcomes Assessor)
Masking description
The data collection will be carried out by a researcher who is blind to the intervention allocation, according to standard research guideline.
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
65 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
1. Age 65 years and older 2. Cognitive function is normal (SPMSQ \>8)(The SPMSQ test was performed before the intervention to screen the cognitive function of the subjects). 3. The subjects can communicate in Chinese or Taiwanese.
Exclusion criteria
1. Diseases affecting the results of the study, such as mental illness 2. Vision or hearing problems 3. Diseases transmitted by eyes or skin
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Digit span test | Baseline and 20 minutes | To measure attention. |
| Trail Making Test | Baseline and 20 minutes | To measure attention. |
| The Positive and Negative Affect Schedule | Baseline and 20 minutes | To measure emotion. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Blood pressure, heart rate and heart rate variability | Baseline and 20 minutes | measure the participant's sitting blood pressure, heartbeat and heart rate variability. |
Other
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Perceived Restorativeness Scale | Baseline and 20 minutes | To measure sleep status in the past month. |
Countries
Taiwan
Outcome results
None listed