ReviewDigital health
Gamified digital exercise interventions for children and adolescents: Protocol for a systematic review and behavior change technique analysis.
Review in Digital health. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 2 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.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Digital Tools' Effectiveness on Physical Activity Outcomes in Children and Adolescents: Umbrella Review.JMIR public health and surveillance · 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
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: With rising concerns over physical inactivity in children and adolescents, gamified digital exercise interventions have emerged as promising strategies to enhance engagement and adherence to physical activity (PA). However, their overall effectiveness and the key behavior change techniques (BCTs) that drive success remain unclear. Methods: This systematic review will assess the effects of gamified and digital exercise interventions on PA and health outcomes in children and adolescents aged 6-18 years. We will include randomized controlled trials and non-randomized studies of interventions focusing on interventions using digital technologies such as exergames, mobile applications, virtual reality, augmented reality, and wearables, with at least one gamification element. A comprehensive search will be conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Cochrane Library, IEEE Xplore, CNKI, and Wanfang Data, covering studies from January 2014 to August 2025. BCTs will be categorized using the BCT Taxonomy v1 (BCTTv1), and data will be synthesized through meta-analysis or narrative synthesis depending on study homogeneity. The Promise Ratio will be used to identify the most effective BCTs. Conclusion: This review will provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of gamified and digital exercise interventions, helping to identify key BCTs that contribute to successful outcomes. The findings will guide the design and optimization of future exercise interventions among children and adolescents, with the goal of improving their overall health and well-being. Prospero registration number: CRD420250651337.
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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.