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A Virtual Reality Exposure Intervention on Social Physical Anxiety in Women With Obesity

Obesity | Exercise | Virtual Reality

The objectives of the project are to: i) assess the feasibility and acceptability of the protocol and the VR exposure intervention in women with obesity, and ii) obtain an estimate of the effect of VR exposure intervention associated with an exercise training on SPA, compliance, adherence and persistence to the exercise training, as well as persistence in PA practice in the middle term to calculate the sample size for a future larger randomized controlled trial (RCT) in women with obesity.

A RCT of feasibility will be carried out. Forty-five women with obesity and a high level of SPA will be randomized into one of the following three groups: 1) Exercice and VR exposure (Ex + expo), 2) Exercise and psychological intervention control (Ex + control) or 3) waiting list (WL).

The interventions will have a physical exercise training (identical for all) and a psychology intervention (different according to the condition: VR exposure or control). The feasibility and acceptability of the protocol and the VR exposure intervention will be assessed at the end of the study. SPA, PA practice, anthropometry, internalization of weight bias, body appreciation, perceived pleasure, motivational regulation, self-efficacy, affects as well as perception effort will be evaluated with questionnaires and scales validated before and after the intervention and 6 months after the end of the intervention. Sociodemographic data, depressive symptoms, problematic eating behaviors and propensity to immersion will be assessed during the initial visit only. Adherence, adherence and persistence to the PA program will be calculated at the end of the intervention. Persistence in PA practice will be calculated using data collected immediately after the end of the intervention and 6 months after the intervention.

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Participation Requirements

  • Sex:

    FEMALE

  • Eligible Ages:

    18 to 45

Participation Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

* woman
* inactive (\<150 min. of moderate to vigorous PA / week )
* aged between 18 and 45 years
* BMI ≥ 30 kg / m2
* to be able to go to Université du Québec en Outaouais twice a week

Exclusion Criteria:

* to have a low to moderate social physical anxiety level (SPA score \<27/45 on the physical and social anxiety scale )
* suffer from hypersensitivity to motion sickness
* to be pregnant or plan to become over the next year
* to take medication that may influence weight
* to have undergone bariatric surgery
* to have a contraindication to physical activity
* to have participated in a physical activity program in the last 6 months supervised
* to have an intellectual disability, and have a severe and persistent psychiatric problem (psychosis, bipolar disorder).

Study Location

UQO
UQO
Gatineau, Quebec
Canada

Contact Study Team

Primary Contact

aurelie baillot, phD

[email protected]
(819) 595-3900
Study Sponsored By
Universite du Quebec en Outaouais
Participants Required
More Information
Study ID: NCT04630184