Impact of a game based intervention on physical activity within the college student population

Introduction: A significant decrease in physical activity (PA) has been noted during the transition from adolescence to college. Traditional health and wellness interventions (e.g., lecture-based academic courses) may not fully meet the social and learning needs of college-age students.

Methods: 58 college freshmen enrolled in a semester-long fitness and wellness course participated in an 8 week alternate reality game, The Skeleton Chase, designed to increase PA. Students playing in teams of three solved mysteries while traversing the college campus. Baseline, game play, and post PA (steps/week) were recorded using an ActiPed accelerometer. The control group was a subset of students who were enrolled in the class and participating in traditional fitness labs.

Results: Students in the game group significantly increased their daily steps from baseline to post intervention (4,892 to 6,966 steps•day-1) whereas a significant decrease in steps were detected for the control group (6,545 to 4,798 steps•day-1). In addition, within the game group, a significant increase in steps per week was noted when comparing baseline (34,244 ±16,234) and weekly steps totals (average game play steps 50,206 ±22,480). A significant increase in weight was detected regardless of group.

Conclusion: The Skeleton Chase game had a positive and significant impact on daily PA and may have altered the declining PA pattern seen within college freshmen. However, significant increases in weight were still evident and therefore alternative approaches to addressing both PA and nutrition changes must continue to be evaluated.