Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31832227›Full record

ArticlePilot and feasibility studies2019

A feasibility study of 'The StepSmart Challenge' to promote physical activity in adolescents.

Rekesh Corepal, Paul Best, Roisin O'Neill, Frank Kee, Jennifer Badham, Laura Dunne, Sarah Miller, Paul Connolly, Margaret E Cupples, Esther M F van Sluijs and 2 more

Registry-linked trialAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Pilot and feasibility studies, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT02455986 (A Randomised Controlled Trial of a Pedometer Based Phased Intervention to Encourage Physical Activity in Schools), which is not on this map. Cited by 19 papers, 12 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
19citing papers in PubMed, 12 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

NCT02455986 phase1completednot on this map

A Randomised Controlled Trial of a Pedometer Based Phased Intervention to Encourage Physical Activity in Schools: A Feasibility Study.

TypeinterventionalSponsorQueen's University, BelfastRan2015 to 2016Enrolled240ConditionsPhysical Activity, Health Behavior, Competitive Behavior, IncentivesArmsThe StepSmart Challenge
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

19 citing papers in PubMed, 12 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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  4. Interventions on Barriers to the Participation of Adolescents in Physical Activity: A Systematic Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2025
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Rekesh Corepal *UKCRC Centre of Excellence for Public Health/Centre for Public Health, Queen's University Belfast, Institute of Clinical Science B, Royal Victoria Hospital, Grosvenor Road, Belfast, BT12 6BA Northern Ireland.
Paul Best *2Centre for Evidence and Social Innovation, School of Social Sciences, Education and Social Work, Queen's University Belfast, 6 College Park, 69-71 University Street, BT7 1NN Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Roisin O'NeillUKCRC Centre of Excellence for Public Health/Centre for Public Health, Queen's University Belfast, Institute of Clinical Science B, Royal Victoria Hospital, Grosvenor Road, Belfast, BT12 6BA Northern Ireland.
Frank KeeUKCRC Centre of Excellence for Public Health/Centre for Public Health, Queen's University Belfast, Institute of Clinical Science B, Royal Victoria Hospital, Grosvenor Road, Belfast, BT12 6BA Northern Ireland.
Jennifer BadhamUKCRC Centre of Excellence for Public Health/Centre for Public Health, Queen's University Belfast, Institute of Clinical Science B, Royal Victoria Hospital, Grosvenor Road, Belfast, BT12 6BA Northern Ireland.
Laura Dunne2Centre for Evidence and Social Innovation, School of Social Sciences, Education and Social Work, Queen's University Belfast, 6 College Park, 69-71 University Street, BT7 1NN Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Sarah Miller2Centre for Evidence and Social Innovation, School of Social Sciences, Education and Social Work, Queen's University Belfast, 6 College Park, 69-71 University Street, BT7 1NN Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Paul Connolly2Centre for Evidence and Social Innovation, School of Social Sciences, Education and Social Work, Queen's University Belfast, 6 College Park, 69-71 University Street, BT7 1NN Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Margaret E CupplesUKCRC Centre of Excellence for Public Health/Centre for Public Health, Queen's University Belfast, Institute of Clinical Science B, Royal Victoria Hospital, Grosvenor Road, Belfast, BT12 6BA Northern Ireland.
Esther M F van Sluijs3MRC Epidemiology Unit & Centre for Diet and Activity Research (CEDAR), Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Box 285, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, CB2 0QQ Cambridge, UK.
Mark A Tully *4Institute of Mental Health Sciences, School of Health Sciences, Ulster University, Newtownabbey, BT37 0QB Northern Ireland.
Ruth F Hunter *UKCRC Centre of Excellence for Public Health/Centre for Public Health, Queen's University Belfast, Institute of Clinical Science B, Royal Victoria Hospital, Grosvenor Road, Belfast, BT12 6BA Northern Ireland.ORCID 0000-0001-7315-0382

Funding

Medical Research Council MC_UU_12015/7Medical Research Council MR/K023187/1Medical Research Council MR/K023241/1
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundInactive lifestyles are becoming the norm and creative approaches to encourage adolescents to be more physically active are needed. Little is known about how gamification techniques can be used in physical activity interventions for young people. Such approaches may stimulate interest and encourage physical activity behaviour. The study investigated the feasibility of implementing and evaluating a physical activity intervention for adolescents which included gamification techniques within schools. We tested recruitment and retention strategies for schools and participants, the use of proposed outcome measures, and explored intervention acceptability.

methodsThis school-based feasibility study of a randomised cluster trial recruited adolescents aged 12-14 years (

resultsWe invited 14 schools to participate; eight showed interest in participating. We recruited the first five who responded; all five completed the trial. Of the 236 pupils invited, 224 participated (94.9%): 84.8% (190/224) provided valid MVPA (minutes/day) at baseline and 57.2% (123/215) at 52 weeks. All other outcomes were well completed apart from the SDQ (65% at baseline). Qualitative data highlighted that participants and teachers found The StepSmart Challenge to be an acceptable intervention.

conclusionsThe level of interest and high recruitment and retention rates provide support for the feasibility of this trial. The intervention, incorporating gamification strategies and the recruitment methods, using parental opt-out procedures, were acceptable to participants and teachers. Teachers also suggested that the implementation of The StepSmart Challenge could be embedded in a lifelong learning approach to health within the school curriculum. As young people's lives become more intertwined with technology, the use of innovative gamified interventions could be one approach to engage and motivate health behavioural change in this population.

trial registrationNCT02455986 (date of registration: 28 May 2015).

Indexed as

AdolescentsBehaviour changeFeasibilityGamificationInterventionMixed methodsPhysical activityRandomised controlled trialSchools

Identifiers

PMID31832227
PMCPMC6859606

What OpenQuestion holds

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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 OpenQuestion graph.