Publication Date
11-8-2021
Journal
JMIR Serious Games
DOI
10.2196/29044
PMID
34747701
PMCID
PMC8663490
PubMedCentral® Posted Date
11-8-2021
PubMedCentral® Full Text Version
Post-print
Published Open-Access
yes
Keywords
heart failure, digital game, sensor, self-management, older adults, weight monitoring, physical activity, behaviors, mobile phone
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Poor self-management of heart failure (HF) contributes to devastating health consequences. Our innovative sensor-controlled digital game (SCDG) integrates data from sensors to trigger game rewards, progress, and feedback based on the real-time behaviors of individuals with HF.
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to compare daily weight monitoring and physical activity behavior adherence by older adults using an SCDG intervention versus a sensors-only intervention in a feasibility randomized controlled trial.
METHODS: English-speaking adults with HF aged 55 years or older who owned a smartphone and could walk unassisted were recruited from Texas and Oklahoma from November 2019 to August 2020. Both groups were given activity trackers and smart weighing scales to track behaviors for 12 weeks. The feasibility outcomes of recruitment, retention, intervention engagement, and satisfaction were assessed. In addition to daily weight monitoring and physical activity adherence, the participants' knowledge, functional status, quality of life, self-reported HF behaviors, motivation to engage in behaviors, and HF-related hospitalization were also compared between the groups at baseline and at 6, 12, and 24 weeks.
RESULTS: A total of 38 participants with HF-intervention group (IG; 19/38, 50%) and control group (CG; 19/38, 50%)-were enrolled in the study. Of the 38 participants, 18 (47%) were women, 18 (47%) were aged 65 years or older, 21 (55%) had been hospitalized with HF in the past 6 months, and 29 (76%) were White. Furthermore, of these 38 participants, 31 (82%)-IG (15/19, 79%) and CG (16/19, 84%)-had both weight monitoring and physical activity data at the end of 12 weeks, and 27 (71%)-IG (14/19, 74%) and CG (13/19, 68%)-participated in follow-up assessments at 24 weeks. For the IG participants who installed the SCDG app (15/19, 79%), the number of days each player opened the game app was strongly associated with the number of days the player engaged in weight monitoring (r=0.72; P=.04) and the number of days with physical activity step data (r=0.9; P
CONCLUSIONS: Playing an SCDG on smartphones was feasible and acceptable for older adults with HF for motivating daily weight monitoring and physical activity. A larger efficacy trial of the SCDG intervention will be needed to validate trends of improvement in daily weight monitoring and physical activity behaviors.
Included in
Behavioral Disciplines and Activities Commons, Behavior and Behavior Mechanisms Commons, Cardiovascular Diseases Commons, Geriatrics Commons, Medical Sciences Commons
Comments
ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03947983; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03947983
Associated Data