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

Summary

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.

Conditions

• Obesity
• Exercise
• Virtual Reality

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Exposure intervention in virtual reality

6 sessions of 45 minutes weekly and 2 follow-up meetings (3 and 6 weeks after the weekly follow-up) with cognitive restructuring and VR exposure supervised by psychologists

BEHAVIORAL

Exercise

Participants will have to go twice a week, for 12 weeks to carry out 2 individual endurance training sessions of 45 minutes (moderate to vigorous intensity), supervised by a kinesiologist. Participants will also have to complete a 3rd 60-minute endurance session at home (or two 30-minute sessions).

BEHAVIORAL

Placebo

6 sessions of 45 minutes weekly and 2 follow-up meetings (3 and 6 weeks after the weekly follow-up) Discussion around social physical anxiety, stress management (relaxation and breathing) supervised by psychologists

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Universite du Quebec en Outaouais

  lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

DOUBLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

45 Years

Sex

FEMALE

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2021-09-01

Primary Completion

2023-03-31

Completion

2023-12-31

Countries

• Canada

Study Locations