Weight Management Interactions in a Virtual Clinical Environment

This study is part of an effort to learn about interactions between doctors and patients. We aim to understand how women feel about techniques that doctors use to talk with patients about their weight. We are studying women s reactions to these techniques using a virtual reality version of a doctor s office to create as realistic a model of a doctor s visit as possible. This can help us better understand what happens during real doctor s visits.

Women between the ages of 20 and 50 who are currently overweight may be eligible for this study. Participants will be recruited from the Washington D.C. area. This is not a weight treatment study.

Participants undergo the following procedures:

• Complete an online questionnaire about themselves, their experiences, and their thoughts about their weight
• Participate in activities in a virtual reality environment in which they interact with a virtual doctor in a virtual clinical scenario. For this experiment, participants wear a head-mounted display that allows them to see the virtual world images.
• Fill out a questionnaire after completing the virtual reality activities. This questionnaire includes information on the participants' virtual reality experience, the information provided in the experience, and additional questions about themselves and their thoughts.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Body Weight; Healthy Volunteers

Detailed Description

The primary goal of this research project is to build an evidence base related to primary care encounters that include discussions about a patient s body weight. We are particularly interested in how encounters impact patients health-related and weight-related attitudes and beliefs. Furthermore, this project aims to determine how a physician s approach to the health care encounter impacts its outcome.

The current study is a controlled experiment in which participants will be participate in a weight counseling encounter with a virtual reality-based doctor. The virtual doctor will present weight etiology information. Participants will fill out a self-report questionnaire online, prior to this encounter. They will then come in to the Immersive Virtual Environment Testing Area in the NIH Clinical Center for a visit. During this visit, they will engage in the interaction with the virtual doctor and then fill out a post-test questionnaire. Participants in the main trial will include approximately 222 healthy adult females between 20-50 years of age who have a BMI of greater than or equal to 25 and are dissatisfied with their current weight.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 318

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Maryland
    • Bethesda, Maryland, United States, 20892
      • National Institutes of Health Clinical Center

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 20 years to 50 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Overweight, adult women will participate in a weight counseling encounter with a virtual reality-based doctor

Description

• INCLUSION CRITERIA:

  1. being between 20 and 50 years old
  2. having a self-reported body mass index of greater than or equal to 25
  3. having the ability to read, write, and converse in English
  4. being able to come to the NIH Clinical Center for one visit

EXCLUSION CRITERIA:

1. having a vestibular or seizure disorder
2. having a high propensity for motion sickness
3. known pregnancy
4. uncorrected low vision or hearing
5. inability to complete tasks in the virtual environment
6. being an NHGRI employee
7. being or training to become a health care provider

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Observational Models: Other
• Time Perspectives: Cross-Sectional

Number of groups / cohorts

4

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
behavior, supportive; receiving information about behavior with supportive provider communication
behaviors, directive; receiving information about behavior with directive provider communication
genetics, directive; receiving information about genetics with directive provider communication
genetics, supportive; receiving information about genetics with supportive provider communication

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
attitudes, beliefs, and behavior	self-report outcomes	cross-sectional

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Susan Persky, Ph.D., National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Agurs-Collins T, Khoury MJ, Simon-Morton D, Olster DH, Harris JR, Milner JA. Public health genomics: translating obesity genomics research into population health benefits. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2008 Dec;16 Suppl 3(Suppl 3):S85-94. doi: 10.1038/oby.2008.517.
• Kumanyika SK, Van Horn L, Bowen D, Perri MG, Rolls BJ, Czajkowski SM, Schron E. Maintenance of dietary behavior change. Health Psychol. 2000 Jan;19(1S):42-56. doi: 10.1037/0278-6133.19.suppl1.42.
• Kushner RF. Understanding obesity by asking the right questions. Perspect Biol Med. 2010 Winter;53(1):148-51. doi: 10.1353/pbm.0.0139.
• Persky S, Street RL Jr. Evaluating Approaches for Communication About Genomic Influences on Body Weight. Ann Behav Med. 2015 Oct;49(5):675-84. doi: 10.1007/s12160-015-9701-8.

Helpful Links

• NIH Clinical Center Detailed Web Page

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): February 29, 2012
• Primary Completion (Actual): April 6, 2016
• Study Completion (Actual): April 6, 2016

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: September 10, 2011
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 29, 2011
• First Posted (Estimated): September 30, 2011

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimated): December 14, 2023
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 13, 2023
• Last Verified: December 1, 2023

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Natural History; Healthy Volunteer; Body Weight
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Body Weight
• Other Study ID Numbers: 110238; 11-HG-0238

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No