Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Formative Research
Date Submitted: Sep 24, 2020
Date Accepted: Apr 13, 2021
The Adaptive GameSquad Xbox-based Physical Activity and Health Coaching Intervention for Youth with Neurodevelopmental and Psychiatric Diagnoses: Pilot Feasibility Study
ABSTRACT
Background:
Prevalence of neurodevelopmental and psychiatric diagnoses (NPD) in youth is increasing, and unhealthy physical activity (PA), diet, screen time, and sleep habits contribute to the chronic disease disparities and behavioral challenges this population experiences.
Objective:
This pilot RCT adapted a proven exergaming/telehealth PA coaching intervention for typically developing youth with overweight or obesity, expanded it to address diet, screen, and sleep behaviors, and tested proof of concept, including feasibility and engagement, among youth with neurodevelopmental and psychiatric diagnoses.
Methods:
Participants (N=23, mean age 15.1y, 74% male, 40% non-white) recruited in-person from clinic and special education settings were randomized to the Adaptive GameSquad intervention (AGS) or waitlist-control. The 10-week adapted intervention included 3 exergaming sessions/week and 6 live telehealth coaching sessions. Primary outcomes included feasibility (adherence to planned sessions), engagement (uptake, acceptability), and PA level (Light+Moderate+Vigorous). Descriptive statistics summarized feasibility and engagement data, while paired t-tests assessed group differences in pre-post PA.
Results:
AGS participants (n=11) averaged 5 of 6 coaching sessions, 81.2 min/week of exergaming, 67% reported intention to continue, 89% reported coaching helpful. PA and sleep appeared to increase during the course of the intervention over baseline, video game use appeared to decrease, and pre-post intervention PA/day significantly decreased for the control (-58.8 min, P=.04) but not the intervention group (-5.3 min, P=.77), despite potential seasonality effects.
Conclusions:
AGS shows promise to deliver a health behavior intervention remotely to youth with neurodevelopmental and psychiatric diagnoses. Next steps should include technology integration improvements and efficacy testing. Clinical Trial: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03665415
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