- Email: [email protected]
Exergames Unlocked: Preventing Obesity for At-risk Audiences through Exergames
Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior Volume 45, Number 4S, 2013 UP4 (continued) effects of family and community food environments on individual behaviors. Conclusions and Implications: Our findings will inform outreach efforts to develop community-driven, culturally-appropriate environmental and policy changes that increase access to healthy foods and safe places for physical activity. Funding: USDA Grant #2011-68001-30103.
UP5 HomeStyles: Shaping Home Environments and Lifestyle Practices to Prevent Childhood Obesity: A Randomized Controlled Trial Carol Byrd-Bredbenner, PhD, RD, FADA, bredbenner@ aesop.rutgers.edu, Rutgers University, 26 Nichol Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ 08901; J. Martin-Biggers, MS, RD; J. Worobey, PhD, FAPA; N. Hongu, PhD, RD, University of Arizona; G. Hernandez, MA, Prevent Child Abuse-New Jersey Objective: Create an effective, sustainable, populationlevel, obesity-prevention intervention that enables and motivates parents of preschoolers to shape home environment and lifestyle behavioral practices to prevent excessive weight gain in their children. Description: Develop and evaluate 12 modules to improve diet, physical activity, and sleep behaviors and practices. Identify, modify, and create assessment tools. Evaluation: Qualitative formative data indicate parents find the modules informative with a high likelihood of effectiveness. Pilot test and subsequent field test will assess body mass index and obesogenic home environment characteristic/lifestyle practices. Conclusions and Implications: Home environments and lifestyle practices that promote healthy child development may prevent excessive weight gain in preschoolers. Funding: USDA Grant #2011-68001-30170.
UP6 Exergames Unlocked: Preventing Obesity for At-risk Audiences through Exergames Barbara Chamberlin, PhD, [email protected], New Mexico State University, Learning Games Lab, Box 30003, MSC 3AI, Las Cruces, NM 88003; J. Gleason, EdD; M. Garza Objective: Team members on the Exergames Unlocked Initiative researched physiological, social, psychosocial and familial impacts of exergames when used in a variety of environments. Based on newly emerging research in the field, the research conducted by team members, and observed behavior of mini-grant recipients, team members drafted guidelines, created support tools, and identified recommendations and strategies on the optimal use of exergames in several different environments. All materials are available online at exergamesunlocked.org, which is currently being revised to ensure better usability for multiple audiences and settings. Description: During the previous 4 years, researchers have used exergames (videogames that encourage physical activity) in a variety of environments including prescribed
Poster Abstracts S79
lab settings, school physical education programs and classrooms, workplaces, senior centers, after-school programs and community events. Outcomes include published research on caloric expenditure and other benefits of exergame use; tip sheets, videos, research summaries, case studies and other guides for using exergames, game reviews, as well as an exergaming blog with more than 70 blog posts. All materials are available at exergamesunlocked.com. Evaluation: Unlike other traditionally funded projects which often research a particular intervention in a given setting, Exergames Unlocked research involved several original research projects from several researchers using a variety of methods, as well as grounded research on the implementation of multiple projects using primarily qualitative methodologies. Research has been published in several journals, included in annual annotated exergames research reviews, and is included in findings on the website. Conclusions and Implications: Exergames can be used to successfully engage diverse audiences and users to exercise and increase physical activity. Elementary schools have integrated exergames into the PE classroom and traditional classroom. Senior centers have used exergames to successfully engage residents in social activities. A Physician’s office and a Laundromat were able to use exergames as an alternative to sedentary activity during waiting periods, though the level of oversight required made use in these areas inconvenient and unsustainable. Several after-school programs have had multiple successes, from increasing parental involvement to providing physical activity during inclement weather. Program researchers are currently writing a book specifically on uses of exergames in school environments, based on the most successfully integrated uses in this project. Funding: USDA Grant #2008-55215-18837.
UP7 Fighting Obesity among Low-Income 9-14 Year Olds: A Home-based Intervention Using Mobile Phones to Deliver Customized Nutrition Outreach Peter Clarke, PhD, [email protected], Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, ASC, Room 324G, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089; S. H. Evans, PhD Objective: This project fights obesity and poor nutrition among 9 to 14 year olds in families that patronize food pantries. Description: Many pantry clients do not know how to use vegetables. We are developing a phone app that provides individually customized recipes and tips, based on each household’s needs and preferences. Our tool, Quick! Help for Meals, has been successfully deployed on tablet computers and boosted vegetable preparations by 40%. We are expanding content and adding other features to the system. Evaluation: Field trials will test changes in household eating and anthropometric outcomes among 9 to 14 year olds. Conclusions and Implications: Forthcoming. Funding: USDA Grant #2012-68001-19592.
UP5 HomeStyles: Shaping Home Environments and Lifestyle Practices to Prevent Childhood Obesity: A Randomized Controlled Trial Carol Byrd-Bredbenner, PhD, RD, FADA, bredbenner@ aesop.rutgers.edu, Rutgers University, 26 Nichol Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ 08901; J. Martin-Biggers, MS, RD; J. Worobey, PhD, FAPA; N. Hongu, PhD, RD, University of Arizona; G. Hernandez, MA, Prevent Child Abuse-New Jersey Objective: Create an effective, sustainable, populationlevel, obesity-prevention intervention that enables and motivates parents of preschoolers to shape home environment and lifestyle behavioral practices to prevent excessive weight gain in their children. Description: Develop and evaluate 12 modules to improve diet, physical activity, and sleep behaviors and practices. Identify, modify, and create assessment tools. Evaluation: Qualitative formative data indicate parents find the modules informative with a high likelihood of effectiveness. Pilot test and subsequent field test will assess body mass index and obesogenic home environment characteristic/lifestyle practices. Conclusions and Implications: Home environments and lifestyle practices that promote healthy child development may prevent excessive weight gain in preschoolers. Funding: USDA Grant #2011-68001-30170.
UP6 Exergames Unlocked: Preventing Obesity for At-risk Audiences through Exergames Barbara Chamberlin, PhD, [email protected], New Mexico State University, Learning Games Lab, Box 30003, MSC 3AI, Las Cruces, NM 88003; J. Gleason, EdD; M. Garza Objective: Team members on the Exergames Unlocked Initiative researched physiological, social, psychosocial and familial impacts of exergames when used in a variety of environments. Based on newly emerging research in the field, the research conducted by team members, and observed behavior of mini-grant recipients, team members drafted guidelines, created support tools, and identified recommendations and strategies on the optimal use of exergames in several different environments. All materials are available online at exergamesunlocked.org, which is currently being revised to ensure better usability for multiple audiences and settings. Description: During the previous 4 years, researchers have used exergames (videogames that encourage physical activity) in a variety of environments including prescribed
Poster Abstracts S79
lab settings, school physical education programs and classrooms, workplaces, senior centers, after-school programs and community events. Outcomes include published research on caloric expenditure and other benefits of exergame use; tip sheets, videos, research summaries, case studies and other guides for using exergames, game reviews, as well as an exergaming blog with more than 70 blog posts. All materials are available at exergamesunlocked.com. Evaluation: Unlike other traditionally funded projects which often research a particular intervention in a given setting, Exergames Unlocked research involved several original research projects from several researchers using a variety of methods, as well as grounded research on the implementation of multiple projects using primarily qualitative methodologies. Research has been published in several journals, included in annual annotated exergames research reviews, and is included in findings on the website. Conclusions and Implications: Exergames can be used to successfully engage diverse audiences and users to exercise and increase physical activity. Elementary schools have integrated exergames into the PE classroom and traditional classroom. Senior centers have used exergames to successfully engage residents in social activities. A Physician’s office and a Laundromat were able to use exergames as an alternative to sedentary activity during waiting periods, though the level of oversight required made use in these areas inconvenient and unsustainable. Several after-school programs have had multiple successes, from increasing parental involvement to providing physical activity during inclement weather. Program researchers are currently writing a book specifically on uses of exergames in school environments, based on the most successfully integrated uses in this project. Funding: USDA Grant #2008-55215-18837.
UP7 Fighting Obesity among Low-Income 9-14 Year Olds: A Home-based Intervention Using Mobile Phones to Deliver Customized Nutrition Outreach Peter Clarke, PhD, [email protected], Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, ASC, Room 324G, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089; S. H. Evans, PhD Objective: This project fights obesity and poor nutrition among 9 to 14 year olds in families that patronize food pantries. Description: Many pantry clients do not know how to use vegetables. We are developing a phone app that provides individually customized recipes and tips, based on each household’s needs and preferences. Our tool, Quick! Help for Meals, has been successfully deployed on tablet computers and boosted vegetable preparations by 40%. We are expanding content and adding other features to the system. Evaluation: Field trials will test changes in household eating and anthropometric outcomes among 9 to 14 year olds. Conclusions and Implications: Forthcoming. Funding: USDA Grant #2012-68001-19592.