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Abstract
The addition of augmented reality (AR) simulations to education has become one of the hopeful solutions to improve the results of learning, especially in the health-related domain, including sports nutrition and health-related decision-making. This research paper examined how effective AR simulations are in educating students in secondary schools in Ebonyi State, Nigeria, where there is high malnutrition and lack of access to high-level educational materials. The researchers used a quasi-experimental research design, which entailed 250 participants who were 14-18 years old in four selected secondary schools divided in experimental and control groups. Experimental group of the research was interacting with actively simulated AR that displayed nutritional information superimposed on virtual sport situations and control group was provided with the conventional classroom learning task. The primary data were gathered using pre- and post-intervention questionnaires concerning the level of knowledge of sports nutrition and health decision-making skills and habits, as well as dietary habits which were supplemented by a focus group discussion. Demographic profile showed that 58 percent of the sample comprised of males and 42 percent females with 65 percent of the samples living in rural regions where stunting is observed to be approximately 32 percent of children under the age of five according to recent surveys. Findings showed that there were significant changes among the experimental group whereby nutrition knowledge scores and decision-making efficacy increased by 45 and 38 percent, respectively, than in the control group. The results accentuate the ability of AR to close the existing nutritional education disparities in resource-limited conditions such as in Ebonyi State, where malnutrition hinders athletic achievements and general well-being. The paper adds to the existing literature on the application of technology-enhanced health education by proving the effectiveness of AR in promoting interactive learning and knowledgeable health decisions. Switching AR interventions in Nigerian schools and including them in national health programs are also recommended to deal with malnutrition.