The effects of a combination of 3D virtual reality and hands-on horticultural activities on mastery, achievement motives, self-esteem, isolation and depression: a quasi-experimental study.

BACKGROUND: Aging societies are a public health concern worldwide. It is critical to develop strategies that harness technology to enhance older adults' mastery, achievement motives, self-esteem, isolation and depression effectively. METHODS: This study aimed to explore the effects of a combination of three-dimensional virtual reality (VR) and hands-on horticultural activities on the psychological well-being of community-dwelling older adults. We used a quasi-experimental design. A total of 62 community-dwelling older adults were recruited and assigned to the experimental (n = 32) and comparison groups (n = 30). The members of the experimental group participated in an 8-week intervention program. Participants of both groups completed before-and-after intervention measurements for outcome variables that included perceived self-esteem, depression, isolation, and mastery and achievement motives, which were analyzed using the generalized estimating equation (GEE). A baseline score of depression was used as an adjustment for the GEE analyses to eliminate the effects of depression on outcomes. RESULTS: After controlling age and gender as confounders, GEE analyses indicated that the experimental group showed significant post-intervention improvements in scores for self-esteem (ß = 2.18, P = .005) and mastery (ß = 1.23, P = .039), compared to the control group. CONCLUSIONS: This study supported a combination of three-dimensional VR and hands-on horticultural activities on community-dwelling older adults to improve self-esteem and mastery. The findings suggest that the future implementation of a similar program would be feasible and beneficial to community-dwelling older adults. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study was posted on www. CLINICALTRIALS: gov (NCT05087654) on 21/10/2021. It was approved by the Institutional Review Board of En Chu Kong Hospital and performed in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki.

User Evaluation of a Chat-Based Instant Messaging Support Health Education Program for Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease: Preliminary Findings of a Formative Study.

BACKGROUND: Artificial intelligence-driven chatbots are increasingly being used in health care, but few chat-based instant messaging support health education programs are designed for patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) to evaluate their effectiveness. In addition, limited research exists on the usage of chat-based programs among patients with CKD, particularly those that integrate a chatbot aimed at enhancing the communication ability and disease-specific knowledge of patients. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this formative study is to gather the data necessary to develop an intervention program of chat-based instant messaging support health education for patients with CKD. Participants' user experiences will form the basis for program design improvements. METHODS: Data were collected from April to November 2020 using a structured questionnaire. A pre-post design was used, and a total of 60 patients consented to join the 3-month program. Among them, 55 successfully completed the study measurements. The System Usability Scale was used for participant evaluations of the usability of the chat-based program. RESULTS: Paired t tests revealed significant differences before and after intervention for communicative literacy (t54=3.99; P<.001) and CKD-specific disease knowledge (t54=7.54; P<.001). Within disease knowledge, significant differences were observed in the aspects of CKD basic knowledge (t54=3.46; P=.001), lifestyle (t54=3.83; P=.001), dietary intake (t54=5.51; P<.001), and medication (t54=4.17; P=.001). However, no significant difference was found in the aspect of disease prevention. Subgroup analysis revealed that while the findings among male participants were similar to those of the main sample, this was not the case among female participants. CONCLUSIONS: The findings reveal that a chat-based instant messaging support health education program may be effective for middle-aged and older patients with CKD. The use of a chat-based program with multiple promoting approaches is promising, and users' evaluation is satisfactory. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05665517; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05665517.

User experience evaluation of a 3D virtual reality educational program for illegal drug use prevention among high school students: Applying the decomposed theory of planned behavior.

Objective: To evaluate user acceptability of an immersive three-dimensional virtual reality program for preventing illegal drug use and identify factors associated with continuous usage intention of three-dimensional virtual reality learning among high school students based on the decomposed theory of planned behavior. Methods: In this cross-sectional observational study, we developed five educational modules and serious games based on three-dimensional virtual reality technology. Ninety student-participants' experiences were assessed by a structured questionnaire based on the decomposed theory of planned behavior variables. We applied partial least squares structural equation modeling to examine the correlates of continuous usage intention. Results: The proposed model demonstrated an acceptable fit to the observed data. Eight of the 11 hypotheses based on the decomposed theory of planned behavior were supported. Continuous usage intention was significantly associated with attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control; these variables explained 55.4% of the variance in continuous usage intention. Perceived usefulness and compatibility were significant antecedents of attitude. The significant antecedent of subjective norms was support from school staff. Self-efficacy and resource-facilitating conditions were significant antecedents of perceived behavioral control. Conclusions: Our findings support the applicability of the decomposed theory of planned behavior as a framework for evaluating a three-dimensional virtual reality program for illegal drug use. We recommend that the program be included as teaching material for illegal drug prevention education in senior high schools.