title: The Narrative Impact of Active Video Games on Physical Activity Among Children: A Feasibility Study.
abstract: Active video games (AVGs) capable of inducing physical activity offer an innovative approach to combating childhood obesity. Unfortunately, children's AVG game play decreases quickly, underscoring the need to identify novel methods for player engagement. Narratives have been demonstrated to influence behaviors.
  
  
  
  The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that a narrative would motivate increased AVG play, though a feasibility study that investigated the motivational effect of adding a previously developed narrative cutscene to an originally nonnarrative AVG, Nintendo Wii Sports Resort: Swordplay Showdown.
  
  
  
  A total of 40 overweight and obese 8- to 11-year-olds equally divided by sex played the AVG. Half (n=20) were randomly assigned to a narrative group that watched the narrative cutscene before game play. The other half played the game without watching it.
  
  
  
  Children in the narrative group had significantly (P<.05) more steps per 10-second period (mean 3.2, SD 0.7) and overall (mean 523, SD 203) during game play compared with the nonnarrative group (10-second period: mean 2.7, SD 0.7; overall: mean 366, SD 172).
  
  
  
  The AVG with narrative induced increased physical activity. Additional research is needed to understand the mechanisms through which narrative increases physical activity during AVG game play.
authors.affiliation: College of Arts, Media & Design, Department of Communication Studies, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States. a.lu@northeastern.edu.
authors.forename: Amy Shirong
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-8230-9049
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Tom
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-0653-2222
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Baranowski
authors.forename: S Lee
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-6044-2482
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Richard
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-3325-8641
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Buday
authors.forename: Debbe
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-5491-8816
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: Alicia
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-3888-7500
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Beltran
authors.forename: Hafza Razak
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-4571-4675
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Dadabhoy
authors.forename: Tzu-An
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-2561-9419
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D033262:Narration; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000209:etiology*; D018910:Video Games / Q000009:adverse effects*
keywords: behavior; child health; child obesity; motivation; narration; video games