Design, implementation and evaluation of a game-based intervention targeting Latino children for improving obesity outcomes

Abstract

This paper presents the design, implementation and evaluation of a hybrid clinic plus home based intervention targeting Latino children to improve obesity outcomes. The intervention applies motivational game based learning and behavior change theories during design. Latino American children are the main target group for this study as they have significantly high obesity rates due to socio-economic conditions and lack of awareness. There have been several interventions that have targeted game based strategies in the clinic to promote health outcomes and some have even targeted obesity problems, however to our knowledge this is the first effort that adds an in-home component to the clinical intervention. We discuss in detail the challenges faced while designing and implementing this hybrid clinical trial. Finally, we present the evaluation results from a randomized clinical trial that recruited 101 children.