Clinical trial NCT06626100: A Digital Game on Promoting Family Well-being
Official title: SMART Family-Link Project: A Digital Game on Promoting Family Well-being
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING
Phase: NA
Conditions: Family Research
Family-centered Care
Keywords: Gamification
Family well-being
Lead sponsor: The University of Hong Kong
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2024-10-03
Enrollment: 800
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 10
Standard ages: CHILD
ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: Advances in information communication technologies (ICT) allow for ICT-assisted health promotion to become more common. Integrating ICT in health promotion has been suggested to offer many advantages compared to traditional approaches to promote family well-being. Research has also shown the positive effects of game-based approaches in enhancing health promotion interventions, especially with children. We will develop and conduct an online survey to assess the use of games and gamification for health promotion, as well as a family-based randomized controlled trial to promote healthy living.

Detailed description: With growing emphasis on the development and maintenance of healthy lifestyles, the family role has increasing importance. A family-based health promotion strategy can be instrumental in helping disseminate and reinforce knowledge and behaviours on family well-being and better equip families to protect themselves and promote family well-being beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, the pandemic led to increased sedentary behavior and unhealthy eating. New, innovative health promotion strategies and approaches to increase physical activity and healthy diet and enhance well-being are needed.

This study aims to investigate and use a game-based approach to enhance knowledge and behaviours on healthy living and family well-being. We will conduct quantitative and qualitative evaluation. The findings would provide evidence of the feasibility and effectiveness of such an approach in a family-based context. It would also guide the direction for future health education and awareness trials and related projects and campaigns for health promotion efforts and to help improve family well-being in the Hong Kong community and elsewhere.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Chinese-speaking;
* Parental consent for those under 18;
* Able to understand and play the game;
* Has a smartphone.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Individuals who cannot meet the inclusion criteria.

Primary outcomes:
measure: Step count
timeFrame: Baseline and one month
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Perceived improved family happiness
timeFrame: Baseline and one month
measure: Game satisfaction score
timeFrame: One month
measure: Family well-being knowledge and behaviors
timeFrame: Baseline and one month
measure: Self-reported healthy habits
timeFrame: Baseline and one month
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Hong Kong
country: Hong Kong
facility: The University of Hong Kong
Study officials:
References:
citation: Runacres A, Mackintosh KA, Knight RL, Sheeran L, Thatcher R, Shelley J, McNarry MA. Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Sedentary Time and Behaviour in Children and Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Oct 27;18(21):11286. doi: 10.3390/ijerph182111286.
citation: Ameryoun A, Sanaeinasab H, Saffari M, Koenig HG. Impact of Game-Based Health Promotion Programs on Body Mass Index in Overweight/Obese Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Child Obes. 2018 Feb/Mar;14(2):67-80. doi: 10.1089/chi.2017.0250. Epub 2017 Nov 29.
citation: Chagas CMDS, Pontes E Silva TB, Reffatti LM, Botelho RBA, Toral N. Rango Cards, a digital game designed to promote a healthy diet: a randomized study protocol. BMC Public Health. 2018 Jul 24;18(1):910. doi: 10.1186/s12889-018-5848-0.
citation: Edwards EA, Lumsden J, Rivas C, Steed L, Edwards LA, Thiyagarajan A, Sohanpal R, Caton H, Griffiths CJ, Munafo MR, Taylor S, Walton RT. Gamification for health promotion: systematic review of behaviour change techniques in smartphone apps. BMJ Open. 2016 Oct 4;6(10):e012447. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2016-012447.