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The Narrative Effect of Active Video Games on Long-term Moderate-to-Vigorous Physical Activity

Award Number: R01DK109316
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF DIABETES & DIGESTIVE & KIDNEY DISEASES
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

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The Narrative Effect of Active Video Games on Long-term Moderate-to-Vigorous Physical Activity - DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Physical activity (PA) is key both to preventing childhood obesity and to reducing an individual's risk for type 2 diabetes (T2D) and certain types of cancer. While conventional PA interventions face problems of sustained motivation and adherence, active video games (AVGs) offer an innovative alternative for PA promotion due to their motivational properties. Although AVGs may allow players to achieve the recommended levels of PA, children's motivation to play AVGs often decreases quickly. To reduce this decline, we introduce an innovative motivating factor: a narrative. A narrative or storyline effectively draws on the human need for narrative closure, i.e., the need to find out how the story will end. A well-constructed narrative has a significant impact on cognition, affect, and health behavior. However, narrative elements are seldom incorporated into AVGs. An AVG with a storyline should encourage children to engage in more PA through increased motivation and extended play. Consequently, AVGs with compelling narratives should increase cognitive and affective AVG evaluation, objectively-measured PA, resulting in better body composition. We plan to explore both the novel addition of compelling narratives to AVGs and the psychological and behavioral consequences on moderate- to-vigorous PA (MVPA). We propose to first identify narrative AVG design strategies to increase PA among ethnically diverse children through 3 Experiments (Expts). Each expt looks at a critical issue regarding the narrative creation. Expt 1 examines which type of plot (continuous/episodic) would result in more MVPA. Expt 2 examines whether ethnically ambiguous characters would result in more MVPA than ethnically specific ones. Expt 3 examines which type of AVG play character (similar/ideal/fantasy) would result in more MVPA among overweight/obese children. We will then use the insight gained from Expts 1-3 to fully develop narratives for 6 AVGs and test their effect in a 3-Group Randomized Control Trial (RCT) among 210 8-12 yo children enrolled in a pediatric obesity intervention over 6 mo; the 3 groups consist of 70 children receiving only the intervention (control group), 70 children who will receive the intervention and also will play the narrative versions of the AVGs by watching corresponding narratives and playing the AVGs, and the last group of 70 will receive the intervention and will play the original versions of the AVGs without narratives. Their body composition, objectively-measured PA, measures of insulin resistance and inflammation derived from fasting glucose and insulin, C-reactive protein (CRP), and fasting lipid profiles as well as cognitive and affective AVG evaluation will be measured. This study is a first step in a series of rigorous systematic inquiries into the behavioral potentials of narratives via AVGs for combating childhood obesity and T2D. Our exploration of narrative's motivating capacities will inspire novel AVG designs and introduce a new dimension of PA facilitation with immersive and inclusive games among diverse children, which may then be translated into school- or family-based health interventions. Such inquiries would help create innovative and effective media products.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2024 ( Subtotal = $0 )
2024	2020	NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY	360 HUNTINGTON AVE	BOSTON	MA	02115	SUFFOLK	USA	Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Extramural Research	000	5	11/2/2023	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
														Subtotal = $0

Issue Date FY: 2022 ( Subtotal = $0 )
2022	2020	NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY	360 HUNTINGTON AVE	BOSTON	MA	02115	SUFFOLK	USA	Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Extramural Research	000	5	2/10/2022	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
														Subtotal = $0

Issue Date FY: 2021 ( Subtotal = $0 )
2021	2020	NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY	360 HUNTINGTON AVE	BOSTON	MA	02115	SUFFOLK	USA	Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Extramural Research	000	5	7/29/2021	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
														Subtotal = $0

Issue Date FY: 2020 ( Subtotal = $575,609 )
2020	2020	NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY	360 HUNTINGTON AVE	BOSTON	MA	02115	SUFFOLK	USA	Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Extramural Research	000	5	2/24/2020	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$575,609
														Subtotal = $575,609

Issue Date FY: 2019 ( Subtotal = $549,610 )
2019	2019	NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY	360 HUNTINGTON AVE	BOSTON	MA	02115	SUFFOLK	USA	Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Extramural Research	000	4	2/27/2019	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$549,610
2019	2019	NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY	360 HUNTINGTON AVE	BOSTON	MA	02115	SUFFOLK	USA	Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Extramural Research	001	4	8/14/2019	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
														Subtotal = $549,610

Issue Date FY: 2018 ( Subtotal = $697,150 )
2018	2018	NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY	360 HUNTINGTON AVE	BOSTON	MA	02115	SUFFOLK	USA	Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Extramural Research	001	3	6/1/2018	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$65,515
2018	2018	NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY	360 HUNTINGTON AVE	BOSTON	MA	02115	SUFFOLK	USA	Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Extramural Research	000	3	3/1/2018	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$589,635
2018	2018	NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY	360 HUNTINGTON AVE	BOSTON	MA	02115	SUFFOLK	USA	Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Extramural Research	002	3	7/14/2018	SUPPLEMENT FOR EXPANSION	$42,000
														Subtotal = $697,150

Issue Date FY: 2017 ( Subtotal = $682,350 )
2017	2017	NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY	360 HUNTINGTON AVE	BOSTON	MA	02115	SUFFOLK	USA	Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Extramural Research	000	2	1/20/2017	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$614,115
2017	2017	NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY	360 HUNTINGTON AVE	BOSTON	MA	02115	SUFFOLK	USA	Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Extramural Research	001	2	6/19/2017	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$68,235
														Subtotal = $682,350

Issue Date FY: 2016 ( Subtotal = $699,503 )
2016	2016	NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY	360 HUNTINGTON AVENUE	BOSTON	MA	02115	SUFFOLK	USA	Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Extramural Research	000	1	3/1/2016	NEW	$699,503
														Subtotal = $699,503

Grand Total All Awards = $3,204,222

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The Narrative Effect of Active Video Games on Long-term Moderate-to-Vigorous Physical Activity

Award Number: R01DK109316

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF DIABETES & DIGESTIVE & KIDNEY DISEASES

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

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