Other Titles
Filipino Older Adults' Experiences with Virtual Coach: For Health-Enhancing Physical Activity [Title Slide]
Abstract
Objective. Physical inactivity among older adults remains a global burden, leading to a variety of health challenges and even mortality. This study evaluated the impact of a novel virtual humanoid coach-driven physical exercise program among older adults.
Method. A non-randomized (quasi) experimental research was conducted in two community senior centers. The recruited participants (n = 130) were primarily female older adults with a mean age of 66.40 and agreed to be purposively assigned to either experimental or control groups. Trained healthcare providers performed health assessments at three time points using valid and reliable tools. Descriptive statistics, t-tests, and RM-ANOVA were used to analyze the data quantitatively using SPSS version 22.
Result. There are significant mean differences between the groups across all functional capacity assessments and the Time 2-3 assessment of sleep quality. RM-ANOVA revealed significant differences in physical assessment over time between the two groups. The analyses of time and group interaction revealed significant improvement in health assessments among the members of the mixed reality group compared to the traditional groups.
Conclusion. The impact of virtual coaches in community-based enhancing physical activity programs is comparable to the traditional mode and introduces a novel approach to promoting physical activity among older adults.
Notes
References:
Dino, M. J. S., Dion, K. W., Abadir, P. M., Budhathoki, C., Huang, C.-M., Ong, I., Vital, J. C., Cotter, V. T., Himmelfarb, C. R. D., & Davidson, P. M. (2024). Mixed reality technology for older adults: Evaluating the impact of a novel virtual humanoid coach in a community-based physical exercise program in the Philippines. Health Informatics Journal, 30(3), 14604582241267793. https://doi.org/10.1177/14604582241267793
Dino, M. J. S., Dion, K. W., Abadir, P. M., Budhathoki, C., Huang, C.-M., Ong, I., Balbin, P. T., Himmelfarb, C. R. D., & Davidson, P. M. (2024). Usability and acceptance as facilitators of behavioral intention to use a mixed reality exercise program in older adults: A structural equation model. Computers in Human Behavior: Artificial Humans, 2(1), 100071. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chbah.2024.100071
Dino, Michael Joseph S., Kenneth W. Dion, Peter M. Abadir, Chakra Budhathoki, Chien-Ming Huang, William V. Padula, Cheryl R. Dennison Himmelfarb, and Patricia M. Davidson. 2024. “The Impact of a Mixed Reality Technology-Driven Health Enhancing Physical Activity Program among Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Study Protocol.” Frontiers in Public Health12:1383407. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1383407.
Dino, M. J. S., Davidson, P. M., Dion, K. W., Szanton, S. L., & Ong, I. L. (2022). Nursing and Human-Computer Interaction in Healthcare Robots for Older People: An Integrative Review. International Journal of Nursing Studies Advances, 100072. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnsa.2022.100072
Dino, M. J. S., Dion, K. W., Abadir, P. M., Budhathoki, C., Huang, C.-M., Padula, W. V., Ong, I., Dennison Himmelfarb, C. R., Davidson, P. M., & Thiamwong, L. (2025). What drives older adults’ acceptance of virtual humans? A conjoint and latent class analysis on virtual exercise coach attributes for a community-based exercise program. Computers in Human Behavior, 164, 108507. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2024.108507
Sigma Membership
Phi Gamma (Virtual)
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Quasi-Experimental Study, Other
Research Approach
Quantitative Research
Keywords:
Public and Community Health, Sustainable Development Goals, Simulation, Emerging Technologies, Virtual Reality, Physical Activity, Mobility, Older Adults
Recommended Citation
Dino, Michael Joseph S.; Malacas, Ma. Kristina; and Hernandez, Rommel, "Using Mixed Reality-Driven Virtual Coach Technology in Promoting Mobility Among Older Adults" (2025). Biennial Convention (CONV). 123.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/convention/2025/presentations_2025/123
Conference Name
48th Biennial Convention
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
Conference Year
2025
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record. All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository. All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.
Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Date of Issue
2025-11-27
Using Mixed Reality-Driven Virtual Coach Technology in Promoting Mobility Among Older Adults
Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
Objective. Physical inactivity among older adults remains a global burden, leading to a variety of health challenges and even mortality. This study evaluated the impact of a novel virtual humanoid coach-driven physical exercise program among older adults.
Method. A non-randomized (quasi) experimental research was conducted in two community senior centers. The recruited participants (n = 130) were primarily female older adults with a mean age of 66.40 and agreed to be purposively assigned to either experimental or control groups. Trained healthcare providers performed health assessments at three time points using valid and reliable tools. Descriptive statistics, t-tests, and RM-ANOVA were used to analyze the data quantitatively using SPSS version 22.
Result. There are significant mean differences between the groups across all functional capacity assessments and the Time 2-3 assessment of sleep quality. RM-ANOVA revealed significant differences in physical assessment over time between the two groups. The analyses of time and group interaction revealed significant improvement in health assessments among the members of the mixed reality group compared to the traditional groups.
Conclusion. The impact of virtual coaches in community-based enhancing physical activity programs is comparable to the traditional mode and introduces a novel approach to promoting physical activity among older adults.
Description
Physical inactivity among older adults is a global challenge, leading to numerous health problems such as loss of functional independence, higher risk of morbidity, disability, and even mortality. Emerging technologies such as virtual reality show promising solutions to promote mobility among older adults. This presentation aims to showcase a novel Mixed Reality (MR) virtual humanoid coach-driven physical exercise program for older adults and its impact on their health.