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Piloting the FIT Game to Increase Physical Activity in One Sixth Grade Classroom
Damon Joyner;
Heidi Wengreen;
Sheryl Aguilar;
Gregory Madden
ABSTRACT
Background:
The FIT Game is an intervention that successfully increases fruit and vegetable consumption in elementary schools. Using the FIT Game to increase physical activity in school would strengthen its ability as a healthy behavior change intervention.
Objective:
Evaluate if the FIT Game can increase physical activity among children.
Methods:
29 participants were recruited from one sixth grade classroom in one elementary school. Participants wore an accelerometer while at school throughout the study. In an ABAB reversal design (A = baseline, B = FIT Game phase), during the B phases, if the group met a daily step-count goal, the game progressed by presenting another slideshow episode; if not, the game was paused until the next goal was met.
Results:
A Friedman’s test showed a significant effect of phase (P< .001). The FIT Game significantly increased physical activity at school by an average of 771 steps per day.
Conclusions:
The FIT Game increased step-counts taken during school hours; its effects on activity at home are unknown, as students wore accelerometers only at school.
Citation
Please cite as:
Joyner D, Wengreen H, Aguilar S, Madden G
Effects of the FIT Game on Physical Activity in Sixth Graders: A Pilot Reversal Design Intervention Study