Washington [US]June 5 (ANI): People with diabetes could be motivated to increase their physical activity by following game-based programs and routines, a new study suggested.
The results of the study, conducted by a team from the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine, were published in the JAMA Network Open journal.
By making their daily steps into a game, the new research pointed to the possibility that people with diabetes could be induced to increase their physical activity, with changes lasting an entire year.
With many today using apps or other digital means to manage diabetes, this program, which uses tools like portable pedometers and electronic scales with personalized goals, could potentially be incorporated to help individuals become more successful.
“Gamification is widely used in wellness programs and smartphone apps, but is often not designed to provide insight into human behavior and has not been tested well over long periods of time,” said the paper’s lead author, Mitesh Patel, MD, who said Director of Penn Medicine’s Nudge Unit.
Patel added, “In this year-long study, we found that gamification works best for increasing activity levels when developed using behavioral insights to either encourage competition with others or the support of a family member or friend Intervention could be an effective way to create permanent new exercise habits for this population. “About one in ten Americans has diabetes. One way to get better control of the disease is to encourage people to increase their level of physical activity This makes your body more “sensitive” to insulin, a hormone that regulates blood sugar in the body, and this sensitivity makes your body less likely to experience dangerous spikes or drops in blood sugar levels.
Patel and his colleagues in the Nudge Unit have conducted several studies on how “gamification” – the application of game-like concepts such as goals, competition and level – can increase physical activity levels.
In this study, as in some previous studies, the participants – who this time all had type 2 diabetes and were overweight or obese – were randomly divided into four equal groups. The first, a control group, received a portable electronic pedometer and electronic scale that gave them feedback on their step count and weight.
The three gamified arms in the study received these as well, but also personalized goals for steps, weight, and blood sugar levels measured for this study.
These goals were in line with a system the team put in place to score points and move upwards. Each patient, whether in the control arm or in the gamified arm, participated over a period of 12 months.
The first gamified arm focused on competition, with groups of three random patients being briefed on each other’s accomplishments each week. The second group also divided the patients into groups of three but focused on working together, with one participant each day representing the group and trying to score points and move up on behalf of all.
The final arm of the study focused on support, in which a participant selected someone outside the study arm to be informed of their progress via email and to motivate or cheer them on as they progressed.
A total of 361 people took part in the study, which was carried out from 2017 to 2020. Analyzing the performance of each group, the researchers found that the step count of those who participated in the competitive and supportive arms of gamification increased their step count significantly the year they participated.
The self-help group increased their steps by an average of 503 steps more than the non-gamified control group; the contestants climbed an average of 606 steps. The collaboration participants increased their steps by 280 compared to the control group, but that was not enough to be considered a significant finding.
Across the board, participants experienced weight loss and decreases in blood sugar whether they were in a gamified or control group. There was no significant difference in these measures from group to group.
“This study is a great first step in building a permanent exercise habit,” said Patel. Patel added, “However, more work is needed to promote weight loss and better glycemic control. Future studies could combine gamification with other approaches to achieve change. “In clinical outcomes.” Patel and colleagues believe this latest study provides further evidence that gamification, when shaped by behavioral concepts, can be a powerful tool can help move people to healthier habits.
“Wearable devices and digital scales are becoming increasingly popular,” said the study’s senior author, Kevin Volpp, MD, PhD, director of the Penn Center for Health Incentives and Behavioral Economics and professor of health policy.
“In addition to our insights into gamification, we believe our clinical study shows that these technologies, when combined with behavioral science, are powerful in leading people to better habits and better health,” concluded Volpp. (ANI)
