Criação de um aplicativo para avaliar e propor intervenções em atividade física do tipo “Gamificação” – CLUMPS

Abstract

Introduction: New information technologies are changing the behavior of individuals and influencing the paths of academic research. The use of lifestyle interventions to improve levels of physical activity (PA) using mobile applications is one of the directions indicated in the literature and a methodological scientific challenge. Objective: To develop an application capable of recording, evaluating, classifying and proposing interventions in physical activity of the "Gamification" type - CLUMPS. Methods: A pilot randomized and controlled study with three groups was carried out with university students to verify the efficiency of the application. The development of CLUMPS took place through several intervention components, such as: I) user profile; II) outcome measure; III) score; IV) Goals; V) Measure of physical activity; VI) challenge roulette for physical activity; VII) incentive for physical activity and VIII) comparative ranking among users. Results: The CLUMPS app was able to record information, display the functionality of the gamified intervention components and evaluate step and point measures. In addition, the pilot study identified a positive correlation between steps and points (r= 0,490; p< 0,001), significant effect of the level of difficulty of PA challenges in the full intervention group (GIC) compared to the partial intervention group (GIP) (F= 14,3115; p< 0,001), time versus step increase (F= 4,162; p= 0,007), comparison of the absolute delta (Δ) of steps (F= 7,876; p= 0,011). However, no significant change was found between the three groups in step count. Conclusion: CLUMPS showed efficiency regarding the display, functioning and registration of the gamified intervention components. The use of the CLUMPS application generated a change in behavior, but four weeks was not enough to show significance in the intervention group compared to the control group.