Mobile exergaming in adolescents’ everyday life—contextual design of where, when, with whom, and how: the SmartLife case

Exergames, more specifically console-based exergames, are generally enjoyed by adolescents and known to increase physical activity. Nevertheless, they have a reduced usage over time and demonstrate little effectiveness over the long term. In order to increase playing time, mobile exergames may increase potential playing time, but need to be engaging and integrated in everyday life. The goal of the present study was to examine the context of gameplay for mobile exergaming in adolescents’ everyday life to inform game design and the integration of gameplay into everyday life. Eight focus groups were conducted with 49 Flemish adolescents (11 to 17 years of age). The focus groups were audiotaped, transcribed, and analyzed by means of thematic analysis via Nvivo 11 software (QSR International Pty Ltd., Victoria, Australia). The adolescents indicated leisure time and travel time to and from school as suitable timeframes for playing a mobile exergame. Outdoor gameplay should be restricted to the personal living environment of adolescents. Besides outdoor locations, the game should also be adaptable to at-home activities. Activities could vary from running outside to fitness exercises inside. Furthermore, the social context of the game was important, e.g., playing in teams or meeting at (virtual) meeting points. Physical activity tracking via smart clothing was identified as a motivator for gameplay. By means of this study, game developers may be better equipped to develop mobile exergames that embed gameplay in adolescents’ everyday life

Does Dynamic Tailoring of A Narrative-Driven Exergame Result in Higher User Engagement among Adolescents? Results from A Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial

Physical activity interventions for youth are direly needed given low adherence to physical activity guidelines, but many interventions suffer from low user engagement. Exergames that require bodily movement while played may provide an engaging form of physical activity intervention but are not perceived as engaging to all. This study aimed to evaluate whether dynamic tailoring in a narrative-driven mobile exergame for adolescents played in leisure settings, can create higher user engagement compared to a non-tailored exergame. A cluster-randomized controlled trial assessed differences in user engagement between a dynamically tailored (based on an accelerometer sensor integrated in a T-shirt) and non-tailored condition. In total, 94 participants (M age = 14.61 ± 1.93; 35% female) participated and were assigned to one of the two conditions. User engagement was measured via a survey and game metric data. User engagement was low in both conditions. Narrative sensation was higher in the dynamically tailored condition, but the non-tailored condition showed longer play-time. User suggestions to create a more appealing game included simple and more colorful graphics, avoiding technical problems, more variety and shorter missions and multiplayer options. Less cumbersome or more attractive sensing options than the smart T-shirt may offer a more engaging solution, to be tested in future research

Playing for Health: how serious digital games can promote health

info:eu-repo/semantics/inPres

Design features associated with user engagement in digital games for healthy lifestyle promotion in youth : a systematic review of qualitative and quantitative studies

User engagement in digital (serious) games may be important to increase their effectiveness. Insights into how to create engaging games for healthy lifestyle promotion are needed, as despite their potential, not all digital (serious) games are highly engaging. This study systematically reviewed game features that were associated with higher user engagement among youth. A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, CINAHL, and PsycARTICLES databases. Qualitative and quantitative studies were included, if they documented game features associated with youth engagement. Coding of game features was performed using the mechanics-dynamics-aesthetics (MDA) framework. A total of 60 studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the registered systematic review (No. CRD42018099487). Results showed that various game features were associated with user engagement in digital (serious) games: an attractive storyline, adaptable to gender and age, including diverse (antagonist) characters the user may identify with, high-end realistic graphics, well-defined instructions, which can be skipped, in combination with clear feedback and a balance of educational and fun content. This review underpinned the relevance of investigating engaging game features specifically for youth, as deviations were found with characteristics that are engaging for other populations

Does dynamic tailoring of a narrative-driven exergame result in higher user engagement among adolescents? results from a cluster-randomized controlled trial

Physical activity interventions for youth are direly needed given low adherence to physical activity guidelines, but many interventions suffer from low user engagement. Exergames that require bodily movement while played may provide an engaging form of physical activity intervention but are not perceived as engaging to all. This study aimed to evaluate whether dynamic tailoring in a narrative-driven mobile exergame for adolescents played in leisure settings, can create higher user engagement compared to a non-tailored exergame. A cluster-randomized controlled trial assessed differences in user engagement between a dynamically tailored (based on an accelerometer sensor integrated in a T-shirt) and non-tailored condition. In total, 94 participants (M age = 14.61 ± 1.93; 35% female) participated and were assigned to one of the two conditions. User engagement was measured via a survey and game metric data. User engagement was low in both conditions. Narrative sensation was higher in the dynamically tailored condition, but the non-tailored condition showed longer play-time. User suggestions to create a more appealing game included simple and more colorful graphics, avoiding technical problems, more variety and shorter missions and multiplayer options. Less cumbersome or more attractive sensing options than the smart T-shirt may offer a more engaging solution, to be tested in future research

Design Features Associated With Engagement in Mobile Health Physical Activity Interventions Among Youth: Systematic Review of Qualitative and Quantitative Studies

Background: Globally, 81% of youth do not meet the physical activity (PA) guidelines. Youth of families with a low socioeconomic position are less likely to meet the recommended PA guidelines. Mobile health (mHealth) interventions are preferred by youth over traditional in-person approaches and are in line with their media preferences. Despite the promise of mHealth interventions in promoting PA, a common challenge is to engage users in the long term or effectively. Earlier reviews highlighted the association of different design features (eg, notifications and rewards) with engagement among adults. However, little is known about which design features are important for increasing engagement among youth.Objective: To inform the design process of future mHealth tools, it is important to investigate the design features that can yield effective user engagement. This systematic review aimed to identify which design features are associated with engagement in mHealth PA interventions among youth who were aged between 4 and 18 years.Methods: A systematic search was conducted in EBSCOhost (MEDLINE, APA PsycINFO, and Psychology & Behavioral Sciences Collection) and Scopus. Qualitative and quantitative studies were included if they documented design features associated with engagement. Design features and related behavior change techniques and engagement measures were extracted. Study quality was assessed according to the Mixed Method Assessment Tool, and one-third of all screening and data extraction were double coded by a second reviewer.Results: Studies (n=21) showed that various features were associated with engagement, such as a clear interface, rewards, multiplayer game mode, social interaction, variety of challenges with personalized difficulty level, self-monitoring, and variety of customization options among others, including self-set goals, personalized feedback, progress, and a narrative. In contrast, various features need to be carefully considered while designing mHealth PA interventions, such as sounds, competition, instructions, notifications, virtual maps, or self-monitoring, facilitated by manual input. In addition, technical functionality can be considered as a prerequisite for engagement. Research addressing youth from low socioeconomic position families is very limited with regard to engagement in mHealth apps.Conclusions: Mismatches between different design features in terms of target group, study design, and content translation from behavior change techniques to design features are highlighted and set up in a design guideline and future research agenda

Which Game Narratives Do Adolescents of Different Gameplay and Sociodemographic Backgrounds Prefer? A Mixed-Methods Analysis

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate which narrative elements of digital game narratives are preferred by the general adolescent population, and to examine associations with gender, socioeconomic status (SES), and gameplay frequency. Further, the study aims to discuss how results can be translated to serious digital games. Materials and Methods: Adolescents were recruited through school to complete a survey on narrative preferences in digital games. The survey included questions on sociodemographic information, frequency of gameplay, and an open-ended question on what could be an appealing narrative for them. Data were analyzed in a mixed-methods approach, using thematic analysis and chi-square analyses to determine narrative preferences and the associations between game narrative elements and player characteristics (gender, SES, and frequency of gameplay). Results: The sample consisted of 446 adolescents (12–15 years old) who described 30 narrative subthemes. Preferences included human characters as protagonists; nonhuman characters only as antagonists; realistic settings, such as public places or cities; and a strong conflict surrounding crime, catastrophe, or war. Girls more often than boys defined characters by their age, included avatars, located the narrative in private places, developed profession-related skills, and included a positive atmosphere. Adolescents of nonacademic education more often than adolescents of academic education defined characters by criminal actions. Infrequent players more often included human characters defined by their age than frequent players. After performing a Bonferroni correction, narrative preferences for several gender differences remained. Conclusion: Different narrative elements related to subgroups of adolescents by gender, SES, and frequency of gameplay. Customization of narratives in serious digital health games should be warranted for boys and girls; yet, further research is needed to specify how to address girls in particular

SmartLife smart clothing gamification to promote energy-related behaviours among adolescents

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishe