Assessment of a Mobile Game ("MobileKids Monster Manor") to Promote Physical Activity Among Children

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. Materials and Methods: The game integrates data from an accelerometer-based activity monitor (Tractivity (R); 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 X 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.