Effect of Gamification With and Without Financial Incentives to Increase Physical Activity Among Veterans Classified as Having Obesity or Overweight: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Gamification is increasingly being used for health promotion but has not been well tested with financial incentives or among veterans. Objective: To test the effectiveness of gamification with social support, with and without a loss-framed financial incentive, to increase physical activity among veterans classified as having overweight and obesity. Design, Setting, and Participants: This 3-group randomized clinical trial had a 12-week intervention period and an 8-week follow-up period. Participants included veterans with a body mass index greater than or equal to 25 who were receiving care from a single site in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Participants underwent a remotely monitored intervention from March 19, 2019, to August 9, 2020. Data analyses were conducted between October 1, 2020, and November 14, 2020. Interventions: All participants received a wearable device to track step counts and selected a step goal. The control group received feedback from their devices only. Participants in the 2 gamification groups were entered into a 12-week game with points and levels designed using behavioral economic principles and selected a support partner to receive weekly updates. Participants in the loss-framed financial incentive group had $120 allocated to a virtual account and lost $10 if weekly goals were not achieved. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was the change in mean daily steps from baseline during the intervention. Secondary outcomes include proportion of days goals were achieved and changes during follow-up. Results: A total of 180 participants were randomized, 60 to the gamification with social support group, 60 to the gamification with social support and loss-framed financial incentives group, and 60 to the control group. The participants had a mean (SD) age of 56.5 (12.9) years and a mean (SD) body mass index of 33.0 (5.6); 71 participants (39.4%) were women, 90 (50.0%) were White, and 67 (37.2%) were Black. During the intervention period, compared with control group participants, participants in the gamification with financial incentives group had a significant increase in mean daily steps from baseline (adjusted difference, 1224 steps; 95% CI, 451 to 1996 steps; P = .005), but participants in the gamification without financial incentives group did not (adjusted difference, 433 steps; 95% CI, -337 to 1203 steps; P = .81). The increase for the gamification with financial incentives group was not sustained during the follow-up period, and the step count was not significantly different than that of the control group (adjusted difference, 564 steps; 95% CI, -261 to 1389 steps; P = .37). Compared with the control group, participants in the intervention groups had a significantly higher adjusted proportion of days meeting their step goal during the main intervention and follow-up period (gamification with social support group, adjusted difference from control, 0.21 participant-day; 95% CI, 0.18-0.24 participant-day; P < .001; gamification with social support and loss-framed financial incentive group, adjusted difference from control, 0.34 participant-day; 95% CI, 0.31-0.37 participant-day; P < .001). Conclusions and Relevance: Among veterans classified as having overweight and obesity, gamification with social support combined with loss-framed financial incentives was associated with a modest increase in physical activity during the intervention period, but the increase was not sustained during follow-up. Gamification without incentives did not significantly change physical activity. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03563027.

[Assessment of adherence to the Mediterranean diet in university Health Sciences students and its relationship with level of physical activity]. / Valoración de la adherencia a la dieta mediterránea en estudiantes universitarios de Ciencias de la Salud y su relación con el nivel de actividad física.

INTRODUCTION: Objective: to assess the degree of adherence to the Mediterranean diet and the practice of physical activity in university Health Sciences students in Castile-La Mancha. Methods: this was a cross-sectional, observational study by means of a dietary and physical activity survey. The sample consisted of 575 university students (77.7 % women). An initial data collection survey was developed using the Google Forms platform (https://www.google.com/forms/about/). Adherence to the Mediterranean diet was assessed with the Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener (MEDAS) questionnaire and the modified Prevention with Mediterranean Diet (PREDIMED) questionnaire. The Rapid Assessment of Physical Activity Scale (RAPA) questionnaire was used to measure physical activity. Results: we found a 58.3 % adherence to Mediterranean diet among Health Sciences students, with 38.6 % of average adherence, and 5.0 % of poor adherence, with a low consumption of fruits with no gender differences, and a high consumption of red or processed meat and butter or cream with significant differences between women and men. There is also a high consumption of carbonated beverages (more frequent in women). Likewise, a high percentage of students (22.5 %) do practically no physical activity. As for physical exercise, it is always higher in men, with significant differences (p > 0.05). Conclusion: this study suggests that the sample of university Health Sciences students in Castile-La Mancha shows an acceptable adherence to the Mediterranean diet and insufficient levels of physical activity.

INTRODUCCIÓN: Objetivo: valorar el grado de adherencia a la dieta mediterránea y la práctica de actividad física en estudiantes universitarios de Ciencias de la Salud de Castilla-La Mancha. Método: estudio observacional transversal mediante encuesta alimentaria y de actividad física. La muestra contó con 575 estudiantes universitarios (77,7 % de mujeres). Se desarrolló una encuesta de recogida de datos inicial mediante la plataforma Google Forms (https://www.google.com/forms/about/). La adherencia a la dieta mediterránea se valoró con el cuestionario Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener (MEDAS) y el cuestionario PREvención con DIeta MEDiterránea (PREDIMED), modificado. Para medir la actividad física se utilizó el cuestionario Rapid Assessment of Physical Activity Scale (RAPA), que valora la actividad física desempeñada. Resultados: se encontró en los estudiantes de Ciencias de la Salud una adherencia a la dieta mediterránea del 58,3 %, siendo la adherencia media del 38,6 % y la mala adherencia del 5,0 %, observándose un bajo consumo de frutas sin diferencias de sexo, un alto consumo de carne roja o procesada y de mantequillas o natas, con diferencias significativas entre mujeres y hombres. También hay un consumo alto de bebidas carbonatadas (más frecuente en mujeres). Asimismo, un porcentaje alto de estudiantes (22,5 % del total) no hace prácticamente ninguna actividad física. En cuanto al ejercicio físico, siempre es mayor entre los hombres, con diferencias significativas (p > 0,05). Conclusión: este estudio sugiere que la muestra de estudiantes universitarios de Ciencias de la Salud de Castilla-La Mancha presenta una aceptable adherencia a la dieta mediterránea y unos niveles de actividad física insuficientes.