Games designed to enhance support or competition have helped people with diabetes increase physical activity during a one-year trial, according to research published in Diabetes and Endocrinology.

The clinical trial of 361 adults living with type 2 diabetes found that gamification interventions that encouraged social support or competition led to significant increases in physical activity.

Participants received a wearable device, smart weight scale and laboratory testing. There were three types of games that promoted either support, collaboration or competition. The participants received feedback from their devices but no other interventions.

Participants set goals and took part in a 1-year game designed using insights from behavioural economics that included points and levels for achieving step goals and weight loss targets.

Gamification with competition had the best results, sustaining increases in physical activity through the entire year, whereas the results for people using gamification with support declined in the last six months.

All trials helped people lose a significant amount of weight.

The results of the trial indicate that gamification designed to incorporate behavioural insights and delivered through an automated and remotely monitored platform is a promising approach to increasing physical activity among people with type 2 diabetes. The research found that it does need to be combined with other approaches to promote weight loss or changes in glycemic control.

Lifestyle modification including physical activity and weight loss has demonstrated to improve diabetes control. But sustaining these healthy behaviours can be challenging for patients.

Key points

• Gamification is effective in increasing physical activity among obese and overweight people with diabetes.
• Games that promoted competition had the best results.
• All trials of the games that included support, collaboration or competition resulted in weight loss.