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Design Requirements for Gamified Exercise Apps for Adults With Prehypertension Based on the Octalysis Framework and
Sijia Li1, Genying Liu2, Li Qiao1
1School of Nursing, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, 33 Badachu Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing, 100144, China, 86 13522112889.
JMIR Serious Games
|February 25, 2026
Summary
Gamified exercise apps for prehypertensive individuals should integrate psychological needs and human-centered design for better motivation. This approach enhances engagement beyond basic game mechanics, promoting sustained physical activity for blood pressure management.
Area of Science:
- Digital Health
- Behavioral Science
- Cardiovascular Health
Background:
- Managing blood pressure (BP) in prehypertensive individuals is vital to prevent hypertension.
- Physical activity aids BP management, but inactivity is common.
- Gamification shows potential for physical inactivity but requires optimized intervention design.
Purpose of the Study:
- To understand prehypertensive individuals' needs, design preferences, and motivations for gamified exercise apps.
- To integrate the Octalysis Gamification Framework and Self-Determination Theory (SDT).
- To inform the design of effective gamified exercise interventions.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional qualitative interview study with 14 prehypertensive adults in mainland China.
- Semistructured interviews explored needs, preferences, and motivations using SDT constructs and Octalysis Framework drives.
- Thematic analysis identified key themes related to gamified exercise app design.
Main Results:
- Participants desired exercise guidance, data monitoring, feedback, and wearable device integration.
- Key gamification drives included epic meaning and social influence.
- Satisfaction of basic psychological needs (autonomy, competence, relatedness) influenced motivation transformation.
Conclusions:
- Gamified exercise apps for prehypertension require designs addressing deeper psychological needs, not just game mechanics.
- Personalized programming, health monitoring, and human-centered design supporting autonomy, competence, and relatedness are crucial.
- Satisfying basic psychological needs transforms extrinsic motivations into intrinsic exercise enjoyment, crucial for long-term adherence.
