How are extended reality technologies being used for behavioral prevention and health promotion with children and adolescents? A scoping review (2024)

In prevention and health promotion with children and adolescents, extended reality (XR) technologies (including virtual reality, augmented reality, augmented virtuality, and mixed reality) are of interest, as they were shown to enhance learning in educational contexts. However, unlike in clinical research, there is no clear overview of its use for these purposes. Therefore, this scoping review provides an overview of XR in behavioral prevention and health promotion in childhood and adolescence. For this purpose, 10 databases were systematically searched for relevant entries, combined with outreach to professional societies and associations, and experts in the field. As a result, 27 reports were included that describe XR applications (mostly virtual reality) in different areas of prevention (e.g., substance use, violence, emotion regulation, road/fire/water safety). XR is often co-created through participatory action and seems to achieve good acceptance and feasibility, yet most studies so far are pilot studies with small and selective samples with mixed results. Although participatory research principles were often implemented, many dimensions of health equity and public health impact were also not considered. In conclusion, XR may be promising for behavioral prevention, but more rigorous efficacy studies using larger, representative samples and longitudinal observations are urgently needed to advance the field. [Author's abstract]