Trial reportPediatric obesity2018
Home-based exergaming among children with overweight and obesity: a randomized clinical trial.
Trial report in Pediatric obesity, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 2 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 73 papers, 20 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Gaming Technology to Encourage Healthy Weight and Activity in Youth
Engaging Children With Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities and Their Parents to Adopt a Healthy Lifestyle: Piloting the Game Squad Home Exergaming & Virtual Health Coaching Intervention
Who cites it
73 citing papers in PubMed, 20 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Beyond BMI: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of mHealth Interventions for Pediatric Obesity Management.Nutrients · 2026Pooled it
- Behavior Change Techniques in Digital Health Interventions for Promoting Adolescent Health Behaviors: Systematic Umbrella Review.JMIR mental health · 2026Pooled it
- Digital Tools' Effectiveness on Physical Activity Outcomes in Children and Adolescents: Umbrella Review.JMIR public health and surveillance · 2026Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Digital Health Interventions to Promote Physical Activity Among Adolescents: Systematic Review.Journal of medical Internet research · 2026Pooled it
- Meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials assessing the effect of digital tools on step count and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity in healthy children and adolescents.Frontiers in digital health · 2026Pooled it
- The Effects of Teleinterventions on Pediatric Weight Control: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.Journal of medical Internet research · 2025Pooled it
- The Effect of Exergaming on BMI and Fitness in Children and Adolescents With Obesity: A Systematic Review.Acta paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992) · 2025Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Active video games for improving health-related physical fitness in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in public health · 2024Pooled it
- Active video games and weight management in overweight children and adolescents-systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of public health (Oxford, England) · 2023Pooled it
- Interventions targeting children and young people's physical activity behavior at home: A systematic review.PloS one · 2023Pooled it
- The Benefits to Bone Health in Children and Pre-School Children with Additional Exercise Interventions: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Nutrients · 2022Pooled it
- American Association of Clinical Endocrinology Clinical Practice Guideline: Developing a Diabetes Mellitus Comprehensive Care Plan-2022 Update.Endocrine practice : official journal of the American College of Endocrinology and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists · 2022Guideline
- [Strategies and effects of digital interventions in overweight and obesity treatments in children and adolescents-a systematic review].Bundesgesundheitsblatt, Gesundheitsforschung, Gesundheitsschutz · 2022Pooled it
- Digital Health Interventions for Weight Management in Children and Adolescents: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.Journal of medical Internet research · 2022Pooled it
- Effectiveness of multiple eHealth-delivered lifestyle strategies for preventing or intervening overweight/obesity among children and adolescents: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in endocrinology · 2022Pooled it
- Exergames in Childhood Obesity Treatment: A Systematic Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Pooled it
- Harnessing technological solutions for childhood obesity prevention and treatment: a systematic review and meta-analysis of current applications.International journal of obesity (2005) · 2021Pooled it
- Digital Behavior Change Interventions for Younger Children With Chronic Health Conditions: Systematic Review.Journal of medical Internet research · 2020Pooled it
13 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundGiven children's low levels of physical activity and high prevalence of obesity, there is an urgent need to identify innovative physical activity options.
objectiveThis study aims to test the effectiveness of exergaming (video gaming that involves physical activity) to reduce children's adiposity and improve cardiometabolic health.
methodsThis randomized controlled trial assigned 46 children with overweight/obesity to a 24-week exergaming or control condition. Intervention participants were provided a gaming console with exergames, a gameplay curriculum (1 h per session, three times a week) and video chat sessions with a fitness coach (telehealth coaching). Control participants were provided the exergames following final clinic visit. The primary outcome was body mass index (BMI) z-score. Secondary outcomes were fat mass by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry and cardiometabolic health metrics.
resultsHalf of the participants were girls, and 57% were African-American. Intervention adherence was 94.4%, and children's ratings of acceptability and enjoyment were high. The intervention group significantly reduced BMI z-score excluding one control outlier (intervention [standard error] vs. control [standard error]: -0.06 [0.03] vs. 0.03 [0.03], p = 0.016) with a marginal difference in intent-to-treat analysis (-0.06 [0.03] vs. 0.02 [0.03], p = 0.065). Compared with control, the intervention group improved systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (all p values <0.05).
conclusionsExergaming at home elicited high adherence and improved children's BMI z-score, cardiometabolic health and physical activity levels. Exergaming with social support may be promoted as an exercise option for children.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What Socratic holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.