@Article{info:doi/10.2196/33412,
author="Espinosa-Curiel, Ismael Edrein
and Pozas-Bogarin, Edgar Efr{\'e}n
and Hern{\'a}ndez-Arvizu, Maryleidi
and Navarro-Jim{\'e}nez, Maria Elena
and Delgado-P{\'e}rez, Edwin Emeth
and Mart{\'i}nez-Miranda, Juan
and P{\'e}rez-Espinosa, Humberto",
title="HelperFriend, a Serious Game for Promoting Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors in Children: Design and Pilot Study",
journal="JMIR Serious Games",
year="2022",
month="May",
day="6",
volume="10",
number="2",
pages="e33412",
keywords="serious game; children; education and behavior change; healthy lifestyle behaviors; physical activity; healthy eating; socioemotional wellness",
abstract="Background: The use of health games is a promising strategy for educating and promoting healthy lifestyle behaviors among children. Objective: We aimed to describe the design and development of a serious game, called HelperFriend, and evaluate its feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effects in children in a pilot study. HelperFriend is a vicarious experiential video game designed to promote 3 lifestyle behaviors among young children: physical activity, healthy eating, and socioemotional wellness. Methods: Participants aged 8 to 11 years were recruited from an elementary school and randomized to receive a healthy lifestyle behavior educational talk (control) or play six 30-minute sessions with HelperFriend (intervention). Assessments were conducted at baseline (T0) and after the intervention (ie, 4 weeks) (T1). The primary outcome was gain in knowledge. The secondary outcomes were intention to conduct healthy behaviors, dietary intake, and player satisfaction. Results: Knowledge scores of intervention group participants increased from T0 to T1 for physical activity (t14=2.01, P=.03), healthy eating (t14=3.14, P=.003), and socioemotional wellness (t14=2.75, P=.008). In addition, from T0 to T1, the intervention group improved their intention to perform physical activity (t14=2.82, P=.006), healthy eating (t14=3.44, P=.002), and socioemotional wellness (t14=2.65, P=.009); and there was a reduction in their intake of 13 unhealthy foods. HelperFriend was well received by intervention group. Conclusions: HelperFriend appears to be feasible and acceptable for young children. In addition, this game seems to be a viable tool to help improve the knowledge, the intention to conduct healthy behaviors, and the dietary intake of children; however, a well-powered randomized controlled trial is needed to prove the efficacy of HelperFriend. ",
issn="2291-9279",
doi="10.2196/33412",
url="https://games.jmir.org/2022/2/e33412",
url="https://doi.org/10.2196/33412",
url="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/35522474"
}