Trial reportInternational journal of environmental research and public health2020
Manipulating Self-Avatar Body Dimensions in Virtual Worlds to Complement an Internet-Delivered Intervention to Increase Physical Activity in Overweight Women.
Trial report in International journal of environmental research and public health, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 25 citations in OpenAlex.
- Digital Mental Health Interventions in Obesity Management: A Systematic Review and Evidence-Based Recommendations.Current obesity reports · 2026Pooled it
- The Effectiveness of Virtual Reality Interventions on Smoking, Nutrition, Alcohol, Physical Activity and/or Obesity Risk Factors: A Systematic Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Pooled it
- Assessing the Clinical Efficacy of a Virtual Reality Tool for the Treatment of Obesity: Randomized Controlled Trial.Journal of medical Internet research · 2024Trial
- The Effect of a Future-Self Avatar Mobile Health Intervention (FutureMe) on Physical Activity and Food Purchases: Randomized Controlled Trial.Journal of medical Internet research · 2022Trial
- Advances in sciatic nerve regeneration: A review of contemporary techniques.Regenerative therapy · 2025Review
- Acceptability of and Willingness to Use Virtual Reality Exergames for Weight Loss Among Young Adults With Overweight or Obesity in China: Qualitative Study.JMIR serious games · 2025Article
- Digital future-self interventions to promote physical activity: perspectives of minimally active middle-aged and older adults.Journal of imagery research in sport and physical activity · 2025Article
- Electronic Interactive Games for Glycemic Control in Individuals With Diabetes: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.JMIR serious games · 2024Review
- Conversational Agents and Avatars for Cardiometabolic Risk Factors and Lifestyle-Related Behaviors: Scoping Review.JMIR mHealth and uHealth · 2023Article
- Using Personalized Avatars as an Adjunct to an Adult Weight Loss Management Program: Randomized Controlled Feasibility Study.JMIR formative research · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Virtual reality has been found to be a useful tool for positively influencing relevant psychological variables in order to increase physical activity (PA), especially in the overweight population. This study investigates the use of avatars and their physical variations to extend the effectiveness of existing interventions to promote PA. The main objective is to analyze the influence of the avatars' body dimensions on the efficacy of an Internet intervention to increase PA levels and improve other relevant variables (motivation toward PA, enjoyment, anxiety, self-efficacy, and PA goals). A total of 42 overweight women received a brief online intervention, and they were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: the "Ideal avatar" (IAC: participants are represented by avatars with ideal body dimensions); the "Real avatar" (RAC: participants are represented by avatars with participants' current body dimensions); and the "Non avatar" (NAC: participants are not represented by avatars). Results showed that the online intervention was effective in increasing PA practice and self-efficacy expectations. However, manipulating the body dimensions of avatars did not improve this intervention, although ideal avatars helped to reduce the anxiety experienced during PA in this population.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.