TY - JOUR
T1 - Mobile exergaming in adolescents’ everyday life—contextual design of where, when, with whom, and how: the smartlife case
AU - Schwarz, Ayla
AU - DeSmet, Ann
AU - Cardon, Greet
AU - Chastin, Sebastien
AU - Costa, Ruben
AU - Grilo, António
AU - Ferri, Josue
AU - Domenech, Jorge
AU - Stragier, Jeroen
N1 - info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/EC/H2020/732348/EU#
The authors wish to thank the SmartLife Consortium team members, as part of which project these data were collected. The SmartLife project was supported by a Horizon 2020 Programme of the European Commission grant for the SmartLife project (number 732348), that covers also funding to publish in open access. Ayla Schwarz is funded by the SmartLife project (number 732348). Ann DeSmet (postdoctoral research fellowship FWO16/PDO/060, 12H6717N) is supported by a Research Foundation Flanders grant. The authors want to thank all participating schools, school principals, contact persons, and adolescents. We further wish to thank Karel Herman, who supported the coding, Cedric Vercauteren for supporting the focus groups, and Elisa Baeyens for transcribing the focus groups, all students of Ghent University, Department of Movement and Sports Science.
PY - 2018/5/1
Y1 - 2018/5/1
N2 - Exergames, more specifically console-based exergames, are generally enjoyed by adolescents and known to increase physical activity. Nevertheless, they have a reduced usage over time and demonstrate little effectiveness over the long term. In order to increase playing time, mobile exergames may increase potential playing time, but need to be engaging and integrated in everyday life. The goal of the present study was to examine the context of gameplay for mobile exergaming in adolescents’ everyday life to inform game design and the integration of gameplay into everyday life. Eight focus groups were conducted with 49 Flemish adolescents (11 to 17 years of age). The focus groups were audiotaped, transcribed, and analyzed by means of thematic analysis via Nvivo 11 software (QSR International Pty Ltd., Victoria, Australia). The adolescents indicated leisure time and travel time to and from school as suitable timeframes for playing a mobile exergame. Outdoor gameplay should be restricted to the personal living environment of adolescents. Besides outdoor locations, the game should also be adaptable to at-home activities. Activities could vary from running outside to fitness exercises inside. Furthermore, the social context of the game was important, e.g., playing in teams or meeting at (virtual) meeting points. Physical activity tracking via smart clothing was identified as a motivator for gameplay. By means of this study, game developers may be better equipped to develop mobile exergames that embed gameplay in adolescents’ everyday life.
AB - Exergames, more specifically console-based exergames, are generally enjoyed by adolescents and known to increase physical activity. Nevertheless, they have a reduced usage over time and demonstrate little effectiveness over the long term. In order to increase playing time, mobile exergames may increase potential playing time, but need to be engaging and integrated in everyday life. The goal of the present study was to examine the context of gameplay for mobile exergaming in adolescents’ everyday life to inform game design and the integration of gameplay into everyday life. Eight focus groups were conducted with 49 Flemish adolescents (11 to 17 years of age). The focus groups were audiotaped, transcribed, and analyzed by means of thematic analysis via Nvivo 11 software (QSR International Pty Ltd., Victoria, Australia). The adolescents indicated leisure time and travel time to and from school as suitable timeframes for playing a mobile exergame. Outdoor gameplay should be restricted to the personal living environment of adolescents. Besides outdoor locations, the game should also be adaptable to at-home activities. Activities could vary from running outside to fitness exercises inside. Furthermore, the social context of the game was important, e.g., playing in teams or meeting at (virtual) meeting points. Physical activity tracking via smart clothing was identified as a motivator for gameplay. By means of this study, game developers may be better equipped to develop mobile exergames that embed gameplay in adolescents’ everyday life.
KW - Adolescents
KW - Contextual design
KW - Everyday life
KW - Health intervention
KW - Mobile exergame
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85046129977&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3390/ijerph15050835
DO - 10.3390/ijerph15050835
M3 - Article
C2 - 29695069
AN - SCOPUS:85046129977
VL - 15
JO - International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
JF - International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
SN - 1660-4601
IS - 5
M1 - 835
ER -
