Effects of gamification-based intervention for promoting health behaviors

Abstract

The purposes of this study were to examine the effectiveness of the gamificationbased intervention on health behavior change. Participants were 53 Japanese undergraduate and graduate students, of whom 30 were allocated to the intervention group and 23 were allocated to the control group. In the intervention group, daily physical activity and dietary behavior were assessed using a mobile phone application called The Way of Health. The application includes various functions, such as recording daily steps and checking the accomplishment of health behavior challenges. The program was conducted for 100 days from May 2016 to August 2016. ANOVA results for daily steps per week revealed a significant increase in daily steps only in the intervention group. Similarly, concerning the results of ANOVA for the diet behavior score, the intervention group was shown to be significantly higher than the control group along with time. Descriptive statistics revealed that 92.8%, 89.3%, and 82.1% of participants "agreed" or "somewhat agreed" that the points, badges, and leaderboards, respectively, were useful. This study indicated the possibility that gamification could work well for promoting healthy behaviors. Elements of gamification might be recognized as a facilitating factor for participant engagement in an intervention for health behavior change.

School-Based Interventions for Promoting Physical Activity Using Games and Gamification: A Systematic Review Protocol

“…In contrast, GBL takes place only during specific periods of time because it usually focuses on a game designed with the primary objective of learning rather than entertaining [25]. Gamification has been a trending topic in different domains of knowledge such as health promotion [26][27][28], online programs [29], internet intervention [30], and education [31][32][33][34][35][36][37]. Therefore, the terms defined above are not synonymous but describe different valid approaches in the educational context that should not be confused because their focus and purpose are not the same [23,38].…”

Sedentary Behavior and the Use of Wearable Technology: An Editorial

“…Gamification is another way fitness trackers may work to reduce SB. Gamification is defined as applying game mechanics to contexts that are typically not seen as a game [28]. For example, gamification in PA can be viewed as step challenges over a seven-day period where a higher number of steps increases one's chances of "winning".…”

“…For example, gamification in PA can be viewed as step challenges over a seven-day period where a higher number of steps increases one's chances of "winning". Gamification boosts user engagement in PA, where points, badges, and leaderboards have been seen to be highly effective motivators [28]. A recent study showed that users' step counts increased by 23% during a step competition compared to the baseline [29].…”

“…A recent study showed that users' step counts increased by 23% during a step competition compared to the baseline [29]. In another study, university level undergraduate and graduate students found that interventions involving gamification apps on mobile phones were an effective way to increase daily step counts (daily step counts increased by 40.2%) [28]. The use of gamification can allow the user to set more significant goals and to be pushed to meet them, while being immersed in social experiences.…”

“…The use of gamification can allow the user to set more significant goals and to be pushed to meet them, while being immersed in social experiences. Studies that examine the impact of gamification on increasing PA are reporting mixed results based on the intervention type or how they measured PA (objective versus self-report), however, gamification is still a promising concept when looking to engage and motivate individuals to become more active [28][29][30]. To our knowledge, there are no published studies that use gamification targeted at directly reducing SB (vs. increasing PA); this is another area of future research.…”