Adolescents' perceptions and user experiences with a virtual reality-based alcohol prevention tool in Germany: A focus group study
BackgroundExcessive alcohol consumption is a major public health problem, with substance use early in life contributing to higher levels of use later in life. Virtual reality (VR) is an innovative technology for alcohol prevention among adolescents that could solve the problem of insufficient outrea...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-03-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Public Health |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1054015/full |
| _version_ | 1827212584349073408 |
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| author | Robert Hrynyschyn Robert Hrynyschyn Christina Prediger Patricia Lyk Gunver Majgaard Stefanie Maria Helmer Stefanie Maria Helmer Christiane Stock Christiane Stock |
| author_facet | Robert Hrynyschyn Robert Hrynyschyn Christina Prediger Patricia Lyk Gunver Majgaard Stefanie Maria Helmer Stefanie Maria Helmer Christiane Stock Christiane Stock |
| author_sort | Robert Hrynyschyn |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | BackgroundExcessive alcohol consumption is a major public health problem, with substance use early in life contributing to higher levels of use later in life. Virtual reality (VR) is an innovative technology for alcohol prevention among adolescents that could solve the problem of insufficient outreach to the target group of young people. The co-created German Virtual LimitLab simulation is one of the few examples of VR-based alcohol prevention tools and consists of a virtual house party simulation. The aims of Virtual LimitLab are to increase the users' awareness of how social pressure can influence their own decision-making as well as to enable various actions and communication strategies in order to train competencies when dealing with alcohol. The present study thus aims to explore adolescents' content- and technique-specific perceptions of Virtual LimitLab in order to gain insights into user experiences and to test the prototype with the German target group.MethodsFour semi-structured focus groups with adolescents aged 15–18 years (n = 13) were conducted and analyzed using thematic analyses. A user experience questionnaire (UEQ–S) was applied in order to quantitatively assess adolescents' satisfaction with Virtual LimitLab.ResultsThree main themes were identified (VR experience, content, and technical aspects). Participants positively assessed both the content and the technical aspects of Virtual LimitLab. This trend was also seen by the UEQ–S data, which yielded positive ratings for both pragmatic and hedonic quality. The broad variety of options in the simulation that allow the user to try new behaviors was perceived particularly positively. In general, Virtual LimitLab was regarded as an innovative tool that encourages adolescents to think critically about their personal alcohol consumption. Technical errors in the simulation and users' difficulties in identifying with the simulation were the main points of criticism.ConclusionsFeedback from adolescent users revealed positive and therefore promising results when using Virtual LimitLab as a gaming alcohol-prevention tool. Some technical aspects still need to be improved in order to further refine the prototype, and suggestions for expanding the content of the application have already been made. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T04:33:54Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6cf2ffc9171c45ae9571ffc94acd5947 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-2565 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2025-03-21T14:01:52Z |
| publishDate | 2023-03-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Public Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-6cf2ffc9171c45ae9571ffc94acd59472024-06-25T14:20:14ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Public Health2296-25652023-03-011110.3389/fpubh.2023.10540151054015Adolescents' perceptions and user experiences with a virtual reality-based alcohol prevention tool in Germany: A focus group studyRobert Hrynyschyn0Robert Hrynyschyn1Christina Prediger2Patricia Lyk3Gunver Majgaard4Stefanie Maria Helmer5Stefanie Maria Helmer6Christiane Stock7Christiane Stock8Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Institute of Health and Nursing Science, Berlin, GermanyLeibniz Science Campus Digital Public Health, Bremen, GermanyCharité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Institute of Health and Nursing Science, Berlin, GermanyUniversity of Southern Denmark, Game Development and Learning Technology, The Maersk Mc-Kinney Moller Institute, Odense, DenmarkUniversity of Southern Denmark, Game Development and Learning Technology, The Maersk Mc-Kinney Moller Institute, Odense, DenmarkLeibniz Science Campus Digital Public Health, Bremen, GermanyUniversity of Bremen, Human and Health Sciences, Bremen, GermanyCharité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Institute of Health and Nursing Science, Berlin, GermanyUniversity of Southern Denmark, Unit for Health Promotion Research, Esbjerg, DenmarkBackgroundExcessive alcohol consumption is a major public health problem, with substance use early in life contributing to higher levels of use later in life. Virtual reality (VR) is an innovative technology for alcohol prevention among adolescents that could solve the problem of insufficient outreach to the target group of young people. The co-created German Virtual LimitLab simulation is one of the few examples of VR-based alcohol prevention tools and consists of a virtual house party simulation. The aims of Virtual LimitLab are to increase the users' awareness of how social pressure can influence their own decision-making as well as to enable various actions and communication strategies in order to train competencies when dealing with alcohol. The present study thus aims to explore adolescents' content- and technique-specific perceptions of Virtual LimitLab in order to gain insights into user experiences and to test the prototype with the German target group.MethodsFour semi-structured focus groups with adolescents aged 15–18 years (n = 13) were conducted and analyzed using thematic analyses. A user experience questionnaire (UEQ–S) was applied in order to quantitatively assess adolescents' satisfaction with Virtual LimitLab.ResultsThree main themes were identified (VR experience, content, and technical aspects). Participants positively assessed both the content and the technical aspects of Virtual LimitLab. This trend was also seen by the UEQ–S data, which yielded positive ratings for both pragmatic and hedonic quality. The broad variety of options in the simulation that allow the user to try new behaviors was perceived particularly positively. In general, Virtual LimitLab was regarded as an innovative tool that encourages adolescents to think critically about their personal alcohol consumption. Technical errors in the simulation and users' difficulties in identifying with the simulation were the main points of criticism.ConclusionsFeedback from adolescent users revealed positive and therefore promising results when using Virtual LimitLab as a gaming alcohol-prevention tool. Some technical aspects still need to be improved in order to further refine the prototype, and suggestions for expanding the content of the application have already been made.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1054015/fullvirtual realityuser experiencealcohol preventionadolescentsfocus groupqualitative research |
| spellingShingle | Robert Hrynyschyn Robert Hrynyschyn Christina Prediger Patricia Lyk Gunver Majgaard Stefanie Maria Helmer Stefanie Maria Helmer Christiane Stock Christiane Stock Adolescents' perceptions and user experiences with a virtual reality-based alcohol prevention tool in Germany: A focus group study Frontiers in Public Health virtual reality user experience alcohol prevention adolescents focus group qualitative research |
| title | Adolescents' perceptions and user experiences with a virtual reality-based alcohol prevention tool in Germany: A focus group study |
| title_full | Adolescents' perceptions and user experiences with a virtual reality-based alcohol prevention tool in Germany: A focus group study |
| title_fullStr | Adolescents' perceptions and user experiences with a virtual reality-based alcohol prevention tool in Germany: A focus group study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Adolescents' perceptions and user experiences with a virtual reality-based alcohol prevention tool in Germany: A focus group study |
| title_short | Adolescents' perceptions and user experiences with a virtual reality-based alcohol prevention tool in Germany: A focus group study |
| title_sort | adolescents perceptions and user experiences with a virtual reality based alcohol prevention tool in germany a focus group study |
| topic | virtual reality user experience alcohol prevention adolescents focus group qualitative research |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1054015/full |
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