An Initial Evaluation of the Impact of Pokemon GO on Physical Activity

作者:Xian Ying*; Xu Hanzhang; Xu Haolin; Liang Li; Hernandez Adrian F; Wang Tracy Y; Peterson Eric D
来源:Journal of the American Heart Association, 2017, 6(5): e005341.
DOI:10.1161/JAHA.116.005341

摘要

Background-Pokemon GO is a location-based augmented reality game. Using GPS and the camera on a smartphone, the game requires players to travel in real world to capture animated creatures, called Pokemon. We examined the impact of Pokemon GO on physical activity (PA). Methods and Results-A pre-post observational study of 167 Pokemon GO players who were self-enrolled through recruitment flyers or online social media was performed. Participants were instructed to provide screenshots of their step counts recorded by the iPhone Health app between June 15 and July 31, 2016, which was 3 weeks before and 3 weeks after the Pokemon GO release date. Of 167 participants, the median age was 25 years (interquartile range, 21-29 years). The daily average steps of participants at baseline was 5678 (SD, 2833; median, 5718 [interquartile range, 3675-7279]). After initiation of Pokemon GO, daily activity rose to 7654 steps (SD, 3616; median, 7232 [interquartile range, 5041-9744], pre-post change: 1976; 95% CI, 1494-2458, or a 34.8% relative increase [P< 0.001]). On average, 10 000 "XP" points (a measure of game progression) was associated with 2134 additional steps per day (95% CI, 1673-2595), suggesting a potential dose-response relationship. The number of participants achieving a goal of 10 000+ steps per day increased from 15.3% before to 27.5% after (odds ratio, 2.06; 95% CI, 1.70-2.50). Increased PA was also observed in subgroups, with the largest increases seen in participants who spent more time playing Pokemon GO, those who were overweight/ obese, or those with a lower baseline PA level. Conclusions-Pokemon GO participation was associated with a significant increase in PA among young adults. Incorporating PA into gameplay may provide an alternative way to promote PA in persons who are attracted to the game.

  • 出版日期2017-5