title: Assessment of a Mobile Game ("MobileKids Monster Manor") to Promote Physical Activity Among Children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The majority of children in North America are not meeting current physical activity guidelines. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of a mobile phone game ("MobileKids Monster Manor") as a tool to promote voluntary physical activity among children.
  
  
  METHODS
  The game integrates data from an accelerometer-based activity monitor (Tractivity(®); Kineteks Corp., Vancouver, BC, Canada) wirelessly connected to a phone and was developed with the involvement of a team of young advisors (KidsCan Initiative: Involving Youth as Ambassadors for Research). Fifty-four children 8-13 years old completed a week of baseline data collection by wearing an accelerometer but receiving no feedback about their activity levels. The 54 children were then sequentially assigned to two groups: One group played "MobileKids Monster Manor," and the other received daily activity feedback (steps and active minutes) via an online program. The physical activity (baseline and intervention weeks) was measured using the activity monitor and compared using two-way repeated-measures analysis of variance (intervention×time).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-seven children with a body mass index (BMI) z-score of 0.35±1.18 successfully completed the study. Significant (P=0.01) increases in physical activity were observed during the intervention week in both the game and feedback groups (1191 and 796 steps/day, respectively). In the game group, greater physical activity was demonstrated in children with higher BMI z-score, showing 964 steps/day more per BMI z-score unit (P=0.03; 95 percent confidence interval of 98 to 1829).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Further investigation is required to confirm that our game design promotes physical activity.
authors.affiliation: 1 Electrical and Computer Engineering in Medicine Group, The University of British Columbia and BC Children's Hospital , Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada .
authors.forename: Ainara
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Garde
authors.affiliation: 1 Electrical and Computer Engineering in Medicine Group, The University of British Columbia and BC Children's Hospital , Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada .
authors.forename: Aryannah
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Umedaly
authors.affiliation: 1 Electrical and Computer Engineering in Medicine Group, The University of British Columbia and BC Children's Hospital , Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada .
authors.forename: S Mazdak
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Abulnaga
authors.affiliation: 1 Electrical and Computer Engineering in Medicine Group, The University of British Columbia and BC Children's Hospital , Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada .
authors.forename: Leah
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Robertson
authors.affiliation: 2 Clinical and Population Studies at the Child & Family Research Institute , Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada .
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Junker
authors.affiliation: 3 Endocrinology and Diabetes Unit, Department of Pediatrics, The University of British Columbia and BC Children's Hospital , Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada .
authors.forename: Jean Pierre
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Chanoine
authors.affiliation: 1 Electrical and Computer Engineering in Medicine Group, The University of British Columbia and BC Children's Hospital , Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada .|4 Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, The University of British Columbia and BC Children's Hospital , Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada .
authors.forename: J Mark
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Ansermino
authors.affiliation: 1 Electrical and Computer Engineering in Medicine Group, The University of British Columbia and BC Children's Hospital , Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada .
authors.forename: Guy A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Dumont
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D040421:Cell Phone; D002648:Child; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D015444:Exercise / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D000072936:Fitness Trackers; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D057185:Sedentary Behavior; D012985:Software Design; D018910:Video Games