Fit in a Bit: Virtual Reality eSports and eFitness Adoption in Qatar

<p>While staying fit through sports and fitness (SF) activities come with many health benefits, they also come with restrictions in regions that have extreme environmental conditions. An example of such a region is the GCC that mainly consists of arid and semi-arid land. Qatar is one such country that consecutively suffers from a high rate of physical inactivity among its population. VR for eSports and eFitness (eSF) are technological alternatives to the traditional real-world methods of SF that have been proven to improve physical fitness in participants (Lotan, et al., 2008). Drawing from existing literature and IT adoption disciplines, this study proposes a model, conceptualizing factors that affect the adoption of VR for eSF in Qatar, paying attention to the local environmental conditions and socio-cultural practices. The study explores factors influencing the adoption of VR for eSF through an IT adoption lens in the GCC region.</p>