"STAR WARS: The first Jedi" Gamification Program: Use of a Mobile App to Improve Body Composition in College Students

Abstract

Background: There is a need to promote initiatives toward reaching more active and healthier lifestyles. Gamification has emerged among teachers as a powerful teaching strategy that favors students' motivation and behavioral change by applying game elements in nongame contexts. Purpose: To examine the effects of a 14-week gamification-based teaching program, including the use of a game-based mobile app on body composition in college students. Materials and Methods: One hundred twelve college students (21.22 ± 2.55 years) were assigned to a gamification-based group or a control group. College students from the intervention group participated in a gamification program under the narrative of "STAR WARS" and had a mobile app with a countdown timer. They had to meet physical activity recommendations to gain lifetime (i.e., sum time to the countdown). A portable eight-polar bioelectrical impedance analysis was used to obtain body composition outcomes; height (cm) was measured with a stadiometer; and waist circumference (cm) was measured using a metric tape. Body mass index (BMI), muscle mass index, fat mass index, and body fat percentage were computed. Results: Participants from the gamification program reported a significantly lower BMI, waist circumference, fat mass index and body fat percentage after the intervention, in comparison with the control group, indicated by an effect size ranging from -0.23 to -0.11 (all P ≤ 0.043). Conclusion: Gamification and the use of interactive mobile app are powerful teaching strategies in higher education to motivate students toward healthier lifestyles that lead to body composition benefits.

Keywords: Fatness; Gamification; Innovation; Mobile app; Motivation; University.