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Exploring the Benefits of Using Gamification and Videogames for Physical Exercise: a Review of State of Art

DOI:10.9781/ijimai.2018.03.005
Authors:
Carina Soledad González González at Universidad de La Laguna
Carina Soledad González González
Nazaret Gómez at Universidad de La Laguna
Nazaret Gómez
Vicente Navarro-Adelantado at Universidad de La Laguna
Vicente Navarro-Adelantado
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Abstract There is a lack of motivation in children and adolescents to do physical exercise and at the same time a worldwide obesity epidemic. Gamification and active videogames can be used to increase the motivation of young people, promoting healthy habits. In this work we explore different studies on active videogames, eSports and gamification applied to physical exercise and health promotion. Main findings include positive effects in a reduction in body weight and in the promotion to continue performing of physical exercise. It also contributes to increase the motivation in children and adolescents to practice exercise. The personalization of user experience and emerging technologies (big data, wearables, smart technologies, etc.) are presented as promising opportunities to keep the engagement in game-based program and gamification of physical exercise.
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... Health and fitness is the second largest area of research in gamification [2]. Previous studies have shown that gamification in fitness tracking apps can successfully promote physical activity and bodyweight reduction [23]. In the fitness context, personalisation of gamification involves real-time adjustment of difficulty based on physiological parameters such as heart rate [24] or acceleration [25]. ...
Does behaviour match user typologies? An exploratory cluster analysis of behavioural data from a gamified fitness platform
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Full-text available
  • Jun 2022
A promising solution to increase user engagement in gamified applications is tailored gamification design. However, current personalisation relies primarily on user types identified through self-reporting rather than actual behaviour. As a novel approach, the present study used an exploratory machine learning analysis to identify seven clusters of users in a gamified fitness application based on their behavioural data (N = 19,576). The clusters were then conceptually compared to common user typologies in gamification, identifying possible relationships between behavioural user clusters and user types motivated by achievement, sociability, and extrinsic incentives. The findings shed light on nuanced behaviour patterns of user types in the fitness context and how knowing these patterns can inform the way in which tailored gamification could be implemented to meet the needs of specific types. Thereby, they contribute to the discussion on utilising behavioural data and user typologies for tailored gamification design.
... Intervention programs based on gamification have been designed to promote healthy habits from the school context [23,24]. This is the case, for example, of the FIT Game, a program aimed at increasing vegetable and fruit consumption in the school cafeteria [25]. ...
Using Exergames to Promote Healthy Habits in Schools
Chapter
  • Jun 2022
Educating children in healthy lifestyle habits is one of the most effective ways to prevent future diseases such as obesity and improve their health. This chapter presents an educational intervention project to promote healthy lifestyle habits using active video games and gamified activities as a motivational tool towards healthier habits. In particular, we describe the workshops carried out in different primary schools using an active video game called TANGO:H and other gamified tools. The results of these workshops have shown a very high satisfaction with the intervention itself and the active video game .KeywordsExergamesHealthy habitsGamificationChildhood obesity
... The first category also includes those related to running or walking where gamification is incorporated. This effort to use the game in the teaching-learning process makes the user a participant in the process and, therefore, improves their involvement and motivation [36][37][38][39]. In addition, this type of app is consistent in its basic objectives with those recommended by the WHO [40] as heart health goals for the general population: 150 min of brisk walking or 75 min of running per week. ...
Evaluation of Applications for Mobile Devices on the Practice of Physical Exercise in Adolescents
Article
  • Mar 2022
The use of mobile devices has changed the way we relate to each other, influencing teaching–learning processes and the motivation of adolescents towards these processes. One of the most developed tools has been applications (apps), which are software used on cell phones, tablets or computers. Hence, the aim of this study is to analyze the content of applications for mobile devices that is considered the most suitable complement to Physical Education (PE) classes for secondary school students. A retrospective descriptive study was carried out, collecting information on the main characteristics of 31 free fitness apps: the descriptive, technical, educational and psychological dimensions. The results of this study show that most of the apps for physical activity have recent updates and are mainly related to cardiovascular exercise or strength for two purposes: either for exercise accounting or the creation of training plans for the user. They are intended for users of very heterogeneous ages and, therefore, do not take into account their individual characteristics. They do not have an adequate design to facilitate their didactic use. Therefore, we conclude that the applications evaluated lack the necessary educational potential to be used in the PE classroom. Based on the content analysis carried out, we describe a series of criteria that allow teachers and adolescents themselves to select physical exercise apps, and we propose to carry out research to guide developers when developing digital training/physical exercise content with an educational component that can be used as a complement for adolescents in- and outside the field of PE.
... Accordingly, a recent review concluded that social contests increase engagement but may also have a negative effect [20]. In general, this study supports previous research outlining the positive effects of gamification and social features on DHIs [133][134][135][136][137][138][139][140][141]. ...
Factors Influencing Adherence to mHealth Apps for Prevention or Management of Noncommunicable Diseases: Systematic Review
Article
Full-text available
Background: Mobile health (mHealth) apps show vast potential in supporting patients and health care systems with the increasing prevalence and economic costs of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) worldwide. However, despite the availability of evidence-based mHealth apps, a substantial proportion of users do not adhere to them as intended and may consequently not receive treatment. Therefore, understanding the factors that act as barriers to or facilitators of adherence is a fundamental concern in preventing intervention dropouts and increasing the effectiveness of digital health interventions. Objective: This review aimed to help stakeholders develop more effective digital health interventions by identifying factors influencing the continued use of mHealth apps targeting NCDs. We further derived quantified adherence scores for various health domains to validate the qualitative findings and explore adherence benchmarks. Methods: A comprehensive systematic literature search (January 2007 to December 2020) was conducted on MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, and ACM Digital Library. Data on intended use, actual use, and factors influencing adherence were extracted. Intervention-related and patient-related factors with a positive or negative influence on adherence are presented separately for the health domains of NCD self-management, mental health, substance use, nutrition, physical activity, weight loss, multicomponent lifestyle interventions, mindfulness, and other NCDs. Quantified adherence measures, calculated as the ratio between the estimated intended use and actual use, were derived for each study and compared with the qualitative findings. Results: The literature search yielded 2862 potentially relevant articles, of which 99 (3.46%) were included as part of the inclusion criteria. A total of 4 intervention-related factors indicated positive effects on adherence across all health domains: personalization or tailoring of the content of mHealth apps to the individual needs of the user, reminders in the form of individualized push notifications, user-friendly and technically stable app design, and personal support complementary to the digital intervention. Social and gamification features were also identified as drivers of app adherence across several health domains. A wide variety of patient-related factors such as user characteristics or recruitment channels further affects adherence. The derived adherence scores of the included mHealth apps averaged 56.0% (SD 24.4%). Conclusions: This study contributes to the scarce scientific evidence on factors that positively or negatively influence adherence to mHealth apps and is the first to quantitatively compare adherence relative to the intended use of various health domains. As underlying studies mostly have a pilot character with short study durations, research on factors influencing adherence to mHealth apps is still limited. To facilitate future research on mHealth app adherence, researchers should clearly outline and justify the app’s intended use; report objective data on actual use relative to the intended use; and, ideally, provide long-term use and retention data.
... Traditionally, gaming may have been viewed as a sedentary activity, whereas both parents and adolescents in a healthy weight range now perceive and describe virtual reality interventions as a promising approach for increasing physical activity levels [40,41]. Gamification, the use of game design principles to influence socially significant human behavior [42], has been incorporated as a way to modify health behaviors such as dietary habits and physical activity [43,44]. When technological gamification was used as a means to promote weight management among school-aged children, researchers discovered that this method was effective at reducing children's BMI [45]. ...
Development of an Extended-Reality (XR)-Based Intervention to Treat Adolescent Obesity
Article
Full-text available
Public health policies aimed at obesity reduction are more often directed toward adults than children. This is alarming given that rates of childhood obesity have been steadily increasing, and, if not treated early, adolescents with obesity may develop comorbidities into adulthood. Lifestyle-based interventions are the cornerstone of childhood obesity treatment. Recently, extended-reality (XR)-based interventions have been incorporated into the treatment of obesity, and parents and adolescents perceive virtual reality (VR) interventions as a promising approach to increasing physical activity levels and improving eating habits. VR is a tool that fits perfectly with contemporary adolescent culture, which is radically different from that of just two generations ago. It is plausible that an XR-based intervention for treating adolescents with obesity could have a profound influence on obesity management over the long-term. An understanding of adolescents’ preferences, wants, and needs must be considered in the development of new interventions. We suggest that VR interventions can provide a new approach to weight management for children and adolescents and provide recommendations to assess adolescents’, caregivers’, and primary care providers’ needs. These needs could then be used for the development of an XR-based intervention aimed at inducing sustained lifestyle changes in adolescents with obesity.
RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY OF THE ITALIAN SMART QUESTIONNAIRE (SMART-Q)
Article
Full-text available
  • Jan 2023
SMART is the acronym for Sports, Meals, Activities, Relationships and Technologies. The SMART questionnaire (SMART-Q) has been developed following the Civil Educational Approach by a multidisciplinary team of researchers from Italy and United Kingdom Universities. The questionnaire aims to identify the adolescents at a higher risk of unhealthy behaviours (defined as situations in which adolescents can be capped with criminal behaviours, drug or technology addictions, bullying, and school dropout). Previously studies have used SMART-Q however, its validity and reliability have never been completed. Hence, the following study aims to explain the structure of the SMART-Q and its domains and investigates the questionnaire reliability and validity with repeated measures in a young cohort who took part in the Sport Senza Frontiere over the summer of 2021. The construct validation was conducted through Exploratory Factor Analysis, obtaining the values for Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin index (0.941) and Bartlett's test (χ2 = 3813.903, Df = 325, p ≤ 0.001), which indicates its suitability for factor analysis. Exploratory Factor Analysis was completed with the principal component method to estimate the factor loadings and specificity, using the varimax rotation method. The results indicate that all questions presented moderate reliability. In conclusion, the proposed instrument is valid and applicable, meeting all the parameters necessary for its validation. However, it should be additionally implemented to monitor the correlation between items and its reliability. So it is recommended to use the SMART-Q with caution. Finally, the complete questionnaire with scoring values is reported at the end of the document in the Appendix. SMART è l'acronimo di Sport, Movimento, Alimentazione, Relazioni e Tecnologie. Il questionario SMART (SMART-Q) è stato sviluppato seguendo la Civil Educational Approach da un gruppo multidisciplinare di ricercatori provenienti da Università italiane e britanniche. Il questionario mira a identificare gli adolescenti col più alto rischio di comporta-menti pericolosi (definiti come situazioni in cui gli adolescenti possono essere colpiti da comportamenti criminali, di-pendenze da droghe o tecnologie, bullismo e abbandono scolastico). Precedenti studi hanno utilizzato lo SMART-Q, tuttavia, la sua validità ed affidabilità non sono mai state misurate. Il seguente studio spiega la struttura dello SMART-Q ed indaga sull'affidabilità e la validità del questionario attraverso misure ripetute in un gruppo di adolescenti che ha partecipato a Sport Senza Frontiere. La convalida del costrutto è stata condotta tramite analisi esplorativa fattoriale, ottenendo i valori dell'indice Kaiser (0.941) ed il test di Bartlett (χ2 = 3813.903, Df = 325, p ≤ 0.001). La successiva analisi fattoriale esplorativa è stata completata con il metodo delle componenti principali per stimare i carichi dei fattori e la specificità, utilizzando il metodo della rotazione varimax. I risultati indicano che le domande presentano un'affida-bilità moderata. In conclusione, lo SMART-Q è valido ed applicabile, rispettando tutti i parametri necessari alla sua validazione. Tuttavia, dovrebbe essere ulteriormente implementato per monitorare la correlazione tra gli elementi e la sua affidabilità. Quindi si consiglia di utilizzare SMART-Q con cautela. Infine, il questionario completo con i valori di punteggio è riportato alla fine del documento in Appendice.
Developing a love for playing games: a clarification of why Digital Video Games Approach is not Gamification
Article
  • Sep 2022
Background In recent years there has been a growing interest in potential pedagogical tools to be used in Physical Education (PE), and specifically in games. This has involved the exploration of both Gamification and Digital Video Games Approach (DVGA). Both are viable pedagogical tools for any teacher, and each have clearly different intentions for impacting student learning. Unfortunately, and despite several distinctions, they have been misinterpreted. Purposes The first purpose of the study is to offer a clarification of how these tools have emerged in PE and their underpinning mechanisms. This clarification explains their conceptual differences and similarities, with pedagogical implications. The second purpose is to highlight how understanding of this clarification can develop teachers’ Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) and support more optimal usage and better impact positive student outcomes in PE. Key Arguments PE teachers are responsible for delivering high-quality teaching and learning experiences which are informed by well-reasoned decisions of which blend of pedagogical tools to use, when and why. Unless a clarification is provided concerning Gamification and DVGA, these tools will continue to be used sub optimally. In short, we clarify that Gamification is underpinned by increasing motivation in the short term, through improving the attention and engagement of students. In contrast, the underpinning of DVGA is metacognition, and this tool seeks to deepen student understanding; a distinct (we suggest) longer-term agenda. Discussion There is ongoing debate concerning the importance of a meaningful PE curriculum and how to engage students through games using a range of pedagogical tools. Gamification and DVGA are tools which share some commonalities (such as choice, challenge and feedback), but they also have distinct differences (such as planning, assessment and progressions, differentiation and the teacher’s role). Conclusions By improving teachers’ PCK about the purpose and underpinning mechanisms of Gamification and DVGA, they will be better equipped to decipher which pedagogical tool to use, when and why. As a result, teaching is more likely to deliver optimal impact for students to increase potential for developing a love for playing games.
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Esports have increased in popularity among young people over the past decade. There is evidence that involvement in esports helps young players to develop skills that are needed in 21st century societies and increasingly valued by employers. However, there has been no systematic investigation of what 21st century skills can be developed through esports participation and how these skills are acquired through esports. This paper presents a systematic review of the literature for the purpose of providing a holistic understanding of the impact of esports on the development of 21st century skills in young people. The review focuses on the methodologies employed in esports research, the effects of different types of esports games on the development of various skills, the mechanics embodied in esports through which these skills are acquired and the potential negative effects and trade-offs of esports participation. The findings show that the literature has paid most attention to collaboration and communication skills, with less focus on other life and career skills related to creativity and innovation, information literacy and citizenship. The review also reveals the possibility of transferring acquired skills, such as those in leadership and communication, to the real-world context. Further research is needed on the transferability of a wider range of skills from esports to broader settings, on instruments and designs for examining the value of esports for educational purposes, and other areas that are not well covered in the literature. Identifying the skill development potential of esports has implications for designing specific skill development programmes for students, making pedagogical innovations for teachers’ professional development and empowering educational change at the school level.
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  • Jun 2012
En este artículo se presenta el uso de video juegos multijugador que manejan actividades colaborativas como un instrumento educativo acorde con la era digital que vivimos, así como las bases que soportan dicha iniciativa. Este tipo de aplicaciones que se denomina Video Games¿Supported Collaborative Learning (vgscl), pretende obtener las ventajas que se derivan de los tres pilares sobre los cuales se apoya la utilización de estas aplicaciones: el uso de videojuegos como elemento atractivo y motivador para un amplio porcentaje de la población en edad escolar, el aprendizaje implícito de conceptos ocultos en los retos y actividades del propio videojuego, y la aplicación de técnicas de aprendizaje colaborativo que permiten a los estudiantes desarrollar sus habilidades sociales mientras aprenden y obtienen un aprendizaje más efectivo.
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  • Oct 2015
Positive effects of using digital games to improve personal health have been studied, but it remains unclear which game design techniques are most successful at motivating and changing long-term behaviour to improve wellbeing. To inform the design of gamified and effective personal healthcare, we will develop design guidelines and tools for gameful health and wellbeing applications, personalized to the needs and challenges of each individual user.
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World Health Organization (WHO) has declared obesity as an epidemic of the XXI century after reaching global proportions. In Spain, this disease is suffered by 62% of the population leading to the emergence of new health problems. Increasing numbers of childhood obesity in the world is a direct result of changes in the lifestyles of the population. Therefore, in this paper a gamification training program for the prevention of childhood obesity based on motor games, and active videogames, developed overweight children aged 8-12 years are presented. The design of the program consisted of: group sessions in school context, individual sessions at home intended for children, plus a training healthy habits to help families. The motivation and the effectivity of the training program through the gamification have been studied. The results related to biometric variables, learning healthy habits and experience in the intervention have been highly satisfactory.
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  • Sep 2015
This paper presents a review of the literature on gamification design frameworks. Gamification, understood as the use of game design elements in other contexts for the purpose of engagement, has become a hot topic in the recent years. However, there's also a cautionary tale to be extracted from Gartner's reports on the topic: many gamification-based solutions fail because, mostly, they have been created on a whim, or mixing bits and pieces from game components, without a clear and formal design process. The application of a definite design framework aims to be a path to success. Therefore, before starting the gamification of a process, it is very important to know which frameworks or methods exist and their main characteristics. The present review synthesizes the process of gamification design for a successful engagement experience. This review categorizes existing approaches and provides an assessment of their main features, which may prove invaluable to developers of gamified solutions at different levels and scopes.
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