Integrating Augmented Reality (AR) into Health Media Campaigns: Towards a More Behavioral Impact Economic Evaluation

Mohammed Habes^1*Amirah Alzahrani²Areej Abdulllah Alfawaz³Suhib Y Bdoor¹Razaz Attar³Amal Hassan Alhazmi³

• ¹Yarmouk University, Irbid, Jordan
• ²Department of Curricula and Instruction, College of Education, University of Bisha, Bishah, Saudi Arabia
• ³Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University College of Business Administration, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

This study investigates the efficacy and economic efficiency of augmented‐reality (AR)–enhanced health‐media campaigns in urban settings of Jordan, the Saudi Arabia. Employing a quasi‑experimental, comparative design, 600 adults aged 18–45 were randomly assigned to either an AR intervention—featuring interactive 3D simulations of smoking risks and vaccination mechanisms—or a conventional video/text campaign. Pre‑ and post‑intervention surveys measured cognitive/emotional engagement, behavioral intention, and self‑reported health actions, while detailed cost logs enabled incremental cost‑effectiveness ratio (ICER) analyses. Results demonstrated that AR immersion significantly elevated presence (F(1,594)=152.07, p<.001) and time‑on‑task (F(1,594)=210.33, p<.001), which in turn produced larger and more durable increases in intention (η²=.14 for Arm×Time interaction) and actual behavior change (smoking reduction t(598)=20.84, p<.001; vaccination uptake χ²(1)=32.56, p<.001). Economic evaluation revealed that AR campaigns achieved lower ICERs (USD 29.50 per unit behavior change) compared to conventional media, with sensitivity analyses confirming robustness. Multi‑group moderation analyses confirmed stronger path coefficients and greater cost‑efficiency in the Saudi Arabia sample, underscoring the moderating role of technological readiness and cultural factors. These findings affirm AR's promise as a cost‐effective modality for immersive health promotion.