Wellness Partners: Design and Evaluation of a Web-Based Physical Activity Diary with Social Gaming Features for Adults
Wellness Partners: Design and Evaluation of a Web-Based Physical Activity Diary with Social Gaming Features for Adults
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DOI：
10.2196/resprot.2132
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发表时间：
2013-01-01
影响因子：
1.7
通讯作者：
Valente, Thomas William
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Gotsis, Marientina;Wang, Hua;Valente, Thomas William
背景：美国目前处于肥胖和缺乏运动的时代，尽管公众对这种生活方式的有害长期健康影响的认识和科学知识不断增加。行为跟踪日记为坚持体力活动和控制体重提供了一种有效的策略。此外，基于网络的体育活动日记可以通过有趣的在线游戏互动在人们的社交网络中吸引有意义的伴侣，并产生有效的行为改变和积极的健康结果的激励机制。目标：健康伙伴(WP)是一种基于网络的干预措施，其形式是具有社交网络和游戏功能的体育活动日记。本研究设计开发了两个版本--《日记》和《日记+游戏》。本研究的目的是对该干预设计、实施、评估的研究过程进行预试，探索社交游戏特征对成年参与者身体活动和人体测量的有效性。方法：采用随机交叉设计进行现场实验。评估发生在基线、第一次随访(FU，使用一种版本的WP后5-8周)和第二次FU(使用另一种版本的WP的5-8周)。在控制条件下，被试从“日记”版本的WP开始，而在实验条件下，被试从“日记+游戏”版本的WP开始。共有54名年龄在44-88岁的成年人及其17-69岁的家人和朋友参与了这项研究。自尊心和他们的改变者都完成了关于他们锻炼习惯的在线调查。结果：从2009年10月到2010年5月，Egos通过传单、电子邮件和网络广告筛选了335名志愿者。滚动招募导致了54个自我网络小组中142名合格参与者的登记，这些小组被随机分配到一个研究条件下。最终的分析样本包括41个组的87个人。数据收集于2009年12月至2010年8月，数据分析于2011年完成。总体而言，参与者可以在10-13周内接受干预。统计分析表明，在这两种情况下，自我报告的锻炼频率(平均每周天数)从基线(2.57天，SD 1.92)增加到第一次FU(3.21天，SD 1.74)。在最先玩《日记+游戏》的情况下，这种影响更明显，尤其是在变化者和自我之间年龄差异较大的网络群体中。总体而言，从基线到第一个FU，自我的BMI下降有统计学意义，其中日记+游戏第一条件的下降幅度更大(-0.26比-0.16在日记第一条件)。结论：健康伙伴计划增加了参与者的体力活动，并导致自尊者的健康受益。以社交游戏功能设计的基于网络的日记干预具有促进中年人和社交网络中的人积极生活方式的潜力。
Background: The United States is currently in an age of obesity and inactivity despite increasing public awareness and scientific knowledge of detrimental long-term health effects of this lifestyle. Behavior-tracking diaries offer an effective strategy for physical activity adherence and weight management. Furthermore, Web-based physical activity diaries can engage meaningful partners in people's social networks through fun online gaming interactions and generate motivational mechanisms for effective behavioral change and positive health outcomes.Objective: Wellness Partners (WP) is a Web-based intervention in the form of a physical activity diary with social networking and game features. Two versions were designed and developed for the purpose of this study-"Diary"only and "Diary+ Game". The objectives of this study included pilot testing the research process of this intervention design, implementation, evaluation, and exploring the effectiveness of social gaming features on adult participants' physical activity and anthropometric measures.Methods: We conducted a field experiment with randomized crossover design. Assessments occurred at baseline, first follow-up (FU, 5-8 weeks after using one version of WP), and second FU (5-8 weeks of using the other version of WP). In the control condition, participants started with the "Diary"version of WP while in the experimental condition, participants started with the "Diary+ Game"version of WP. A total of 54 adults (egos) ages 44-88, and their family and friends (alters) ages 17-69 participated in the study in ego-network groups. Both egos and their alters completed online surveys about their exercise habits. In addition, egos completed anthropometric measurements of BMI, fat percentage, and fat mass by bioimpedance.Results: From October 2009 to May 2010, flyers, emails, and Web advertisements yielded 335 volunteers who were screened. Rolling recruitment resulted in enrollment of 142 qualified participants in 54 ego-network groups, which were randomly assigned to a study condition. The final analytic sample included 87 individuals from 41 groups. Data were collected from December 2009 to August 2010, and data analysis was completed in 2011. Overall, the participants were given access to the intervention for 10-13 weeks. Statistical analysis suggested an increase in self-reported exercise frequency (mean days per week) from baseline (2.57, SD 1.92) to first FU (3.21, SD 1.74) in both conditions. Stronger effects were seen in the condition where Diary+ Game was played first, especially in network groups with larger age variation between the alters and egos. Overall, the decrease in egos' BMI was statistically significant from baseline to first FU, with greater decrease for those in the Diary+ Game first condition (-0.26 vs -0.16 in the Diary first condition).Conclusions: The Wellness Partners program increased physical activity among participants and resulted in health benefits among the egos. Web-based diary interventions designed with social gaming features hold potential to promote active lifestyles for middle-age adults and people in their social networks.