Games for Health: A three-arm, parallel, randomised control feasibility trial investigating the use of two interactive video games on improving healthy-lifestyle and diabetes knowledge with in youth (9-16 years) who are at risk of type 2 diabetes.

The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of health-related video games to help adolescents and young people at risk of type two diabetes to improve knowledge related to healthy lifestyles and prevention of the disease. Additional aims included to determine whether young people played the games, as well as their attitudes toward the games. We developed two prototype mobile games which preliminary formative research showed that young children (aged 9-13 years) liked the games (delivered via a Samsung tablet) and found them to be fun and engaging. In total, 23 participants (identifying predominantly as Samoan (n=15) and Tongan (n=6)) aged 9-12 years were recruited (body mass index; BMI ranged from 22.3 to 46 kg/m2) and randomised to one of the two games or a control game. Lifestyle knowledge and diabetes knowledge were measured at baseline, immediately after playing the game, and after four weeks. Participants randomised to the active groups were able to take the game home for the four weeks to play in order to determine sustained use. Even though attitudes towards the games were mostly positive, only one of the participants accessed the game after the testing session. He played the game three times in the first evening and twice the next day (total 33 minutes). No changes in healthy lifestyle or diabetes knowledge were found regardless of the game the children played.