Engajamento e satisfação em tarefa de realidade virtual não imersiva na reabilitação pós-COVID: Percepções por faixa etária

Abstract

Introduction: In 2020, there was a rapid spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, leading many people to be hospitalized in intensive care units (Wang et al., 2020). This triggered various changes across multiple body systems, creating the need to include post-hospitalized patients in home rehabilitation programs (Cuesta-Gómez et al., 2020). Virtual reality is an innovative and effective tool to minimize deficits and has been rapidly gaining popularity; it can be used in physical rehabilitation after hospital admission and after COVID-19 (Cuesta-Gómez et al., 2020; Marzaleh et al., 2022; Dimbwadyo-Terrer et al., 2016). The central role in adherence and success of rehabilitation programs is motivation, which improves physical and psychological parameters and significantly increases patient engagement during treatment (Zhang et al., 2024). Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate engagement, satisfaction, and the degree of recommendation of individuals post-hospitalization for COVID-19 during a non-immersive VR task, considering different age groups compared to healthy controls matched by sex and age in relation to the post-COVID-19 group. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study with 94 participants, divided into a post-COVID-19 group and a healthy control group, matched by age and sex. Participants completed a session with the MoveHero game, with physiological variables (heart rate, HRV, oxygen saturation, blood pressure), emotional states (BRUMS scale), and satisfaction perception assessed. Results: Young adults post-COVID reported higher levels of depression, while middle-aged participants showed greater fatigue. The younger control group reported greater satisfaction and willingness to recommend the activity. Conclusion: Non-immersive VR demonstrated to be a safe and motivating strategy for physical rehabilitation, promoting engagement and satisfaction, especially in younger individuals. Age and COVID-19 history influenced physiological and emotional responses, highlighting the importance of individualized adaptations in rehabilitation protocols.