Juntos Santiago: Gamification Strategy to Reduce Childhood Obesity in Schools in Santiago de Chile

Summary

School-based interventions have shown mixed results. Most studies have lacked enough statistical power and have been carried out in North America and Europe.

The Juntos Santiago is a cluster-randomized trial based on a gamification strategy conducted in Santiago de Chile. The trial uses elements of a game such as points, levels and rewards along with a strong community participation component.

Children voted their enrollment and collectively chose the rewards (two per year, one activity and another structural) they are playing for. The intervention consists of a healthy snacks challenge, a steps challenge and an activity challenge. The primary outcome is change in z-BMI and waist circumference.

Conditions

• Pediatric Obesity

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Gamification strategy

The intervention is a gamification strategy, including game elements such as points, levels and rewards. Points are scored by completion of healthy challenges, i.e. a healthy snacks challenge, a steps challenge and activity challenge. Intervention takes place for 8 months from Mar to Nov. There will be three levels. Level 1 at baseline, level 2 expected at month 4 by 100% of participants and level 3 expected in month 8 by 70% of participants. A new cycle will start in 2019. Rewards include an initial reward (Starting Kit), a structural reward and an activity reward. The Starting Kit is a box with souvenirs, information for students and teachers. A structural reward, at level 2, will be achieved collectively by all participating classes in one school. It consists of school infrastructure improvements to promote a healthy nutrition and PA (eg. climbing wall, shared bicycles, sports equipment). An activity reward (AR), when reaching level 3, consists of a fun and healthy activity.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Delivery Associates

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• Bloomberg Philanthropies

  collaborator OTHER

• University of Chile

  collaborator OTHER

• Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile

  collaborator OTHER

• Ministry of Health, Chile

  collaborator OTHER_GOV

• Municipality of Santiago

  lead OTHER_GOV

Principal Investigators

• Sebastián Peña, MD, MSc · Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare

• Macarena Carranza, LDN, MSc · Municipality of Santiago

• Pedro Zitko, MD, MSc · King's College London

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2018-04-09

Primary Completion

2019-12-31

Completion

2019-12-31

Countries

• Chile

Study Locations