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Using an alternate reality game to increase physical activity and decrease obesity risk of college students.
Jeanne D Johnston1, Anne P Massey, Rickie Lee Marker-Hoffman
1Department of Kinesiology, School of Health Physical Education and Recreation, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47405, USA. jdjohnst@indiana.edu
Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology
|August 28, 2012
Summary
This study found that alternate reality games (ARGs) can increase college students' physical activity (PA). While the game group improved PA, the comparison group saw a decrease, highlighting the potential of game-based interventions.
Area of Science:
- Health and Physical Education
- Game-Based Interventions
- College Student Wellness
Background:
- College students face challenges in maintaining physical activity (PA).
- Traditional interventions may not align with modern students' preferences for collaborative, media-rich experiences.
- Alternate Reality Games (ARGs) offer an innovative, interactive approach to engagement.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effectiveness of an ARG intervention in influencing college students' physical activity.
- To compare the impact of an ARG on PA versus traditional exercise equipment instruction.
Main Methods:
- A quasi-experimental design involving 115 freshman students in a college health course.
- Participants were divided into an ARG group and a comparison group receiving exercise equipment training.
- Pre- and post-intervention measures included body composition (weight, BMI, PBF), waist circumference, and self-reported physical activity levels (MPA, VPA, steps/week).
Main Results:
- A significant increase in overall physical activity (PA) was observed in the ARG group, contrasting with a decrease in the comparison group (p = .001).
- Significant increases in weight, BMI, and body fat percentage (PBF) were noted within both groups.
- While both groups reported decreases in vigorous physical activity (VPA), the decline was significant only in the comparison group (p < .001).
Conclusions:
- Alternate reality games show promise as a positive influence on college student physical activity.
- Interventions should be tailored to the learning preferences of the target population, such as the collaborative and media-rich nature of ARGs.
- Further research can explore optimizing game-based strategies for sustained health behavior change in young adults.
