Gamified Fitness Training to Promote Children's Physical Activity

The Effectiveness of Gamified Fitness Training Integrated Into Health Education to Promote Children's Physical Activity

The study aimed to introduce gamified physical fitness training in health education with the goal of enhancing physical activity levels and assessing its feasibility within a small-scale context involving 11-12-year-old children.

A cluster experimental design was conducted in a small-scale context of school children. Participants were recruited by inviting two elementary schools located in the same district area for testing the physical fitness training effects. Two schools were randomly assigned to either the training group (TG; n = 47) receiving physical fitness training or the control group (CG; n = 44) without the training. Through a three-step process, gamified physical fitness training was developed by a multidisciplinary team from the TG school. PA outcome indicators were assessed using AI-wireless sensors attached to participants' wrists over 12 weeks. Participants' satisfaction was used to assess the feasibility of implementing gamified physical fitness training in health education classes. Data collection occurred during school days for one week at three-time points: the first week (T1), 6th week (T2), and the 12th week (T3). Generalized estimating equation statistics were used to assess the program effects.

Inclusion Criteria:

• school children in 5th grade

Exclusion Criteria:

• physical deformity, mental disability, limited higher density physical activity such as asthma, cardiovascular disease, and bone fracture.