Developing content for a virtual reality scenario that motivates quit attempts in adult smokers: A focus group study with art-based methods

What is it about?

Virtual reality (VR) involves wearing special glasses that show a digital world on a screen. People using VR often feel like they are really in that digital world. VR could be used to make adults want to quit smoking. When creating a healthcare intervention, getting input from the people who will eventually use it is useful. However, little research has been done on this for health-related VR. We held four focus groups with 21 smokers in July and August 2023. They sketched and gave ideas for VR content. Some ideas showed what could happen in the future if you quit or do not quit smoking, and these were made to feel emotional and personal by adding family members as supporting VR characters in their sketches. Others suggested graphic images to make people scared of smoking. Participants thought that the VR would be most useful if smokers could use it in healthcare settings, such as doctors’ offices, because not many people have a headset at home. As part of a larger project, we will refine these ideas with VR designers and healthcare workers in a second study.

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Photo by JESHOOTS.COM on Unsplash

Photo by JESHOOTS.COM on Unsplash

Why is it important?

This study is part of a larger project aimed at developing a virtual reality intervention to help encourage adult smokers to quit. This study uses innovative methods of co-design, including focus groups and art-based methods.

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