Comparison of informational and experiential interventions for VR acceptance in rural older adults: a feasibility study

Background. Virtual reality (VR) offers a promising solution to deliver portable, engaging rehabilitation services, particularly for rural populations with limited access to care. However, its adoption among older adults may be hindered by key barriers, including technological unfamiliarity or concerns about visually induced motion sickness (VIMS). Overcoming these initial acceptance barriers is a critical step for implementing this gerontechnology which could deliver physical and mental health support directly to the homes of older adults. Research aim. We aimed to determine the feasibility of using brief, low-resource interventions, either an informational handout or a short immersive VR experience, to improve attitudes toward VR in rural older adults. Methods. In this comparative feasibility study, sixty-four rural adults aged 60 and older received either an informational handout describing VR or completed four immersive VR activities using hand tracking on a consumer headset. Attitudes toward VR and VIMS symptoms were assessed using pre-post intervention surveys.Results. The immersive VR experience did not result in a significant increase in VIMS symptoms, demonstrating high tolerability. Both the informational handout group and the VR experience group showed significant positive improvements in attitudes toward VR.Conclusions. Brief, low-resource interventions can increase technology acceptance for VR among rural older adults. The finding that a simple informational handout can be as effective as a hands-on immersive experience has significant, practical implications for the scalable and cost-effective deployment of VR-based technologies in clinical and home-based gerontological settings.