ReviewJournal of clinical medicine2021
Effects of Pokémon GO on Physical Activity and Psychological and Social Outcomes: A Systematic Review.
Review in Journal of clinical medicine, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 21 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
21 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 53 citations in OpenAlex.
- Effectiveness of active video games for promoting physical activity: an umbrella review.Frontiers in sports and active living · 2025Pooled it
- Influence of Pokémon GO on Physical Activity and Psychosocial Well-Being in Children and Adolescents: Systematic Review.Journal of medical Internet research · 2023Pooled it
- A mobile app-based intervention improves anthropometry, body composition and fitness, regardless of previous active-inactive status: a randomized controlled trial.Frontiers in public health · 2024Trial
- Motivational Factors, Physical Activity Impacts, and Sociopsychological Effects of Pokémon GO in Players Over the Years: Scoping Review.Journal of medical Internet research · 2026Article
- Influence of Maturity Status and Gender on Body Composition and Physical Fitness Adaptations to a Mobile-App-Based Physical Activity Intervention in Adolescents.Sports (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- A Critical Appraisal of the Links Between Video Gaming, Lifestyle Factors, Diet and Eating Behaviour: A Narrative Review.Nutrients · 2026Review
- Protocol for a randomized controlled trial of a mobile app and wearable-based intervention promoted through physical education to enhance physical and psychological health in adolescents during out-of-school hours.BMC public health · 2025Article
- Augmented Reality Playgrounds to Promote Physical Activity in Young Children: Feasibility Study Using a Repeated Measures Laboratory Design.JMIR pediatrics and parenting · 2025Article
- Pokémon GO, Went, Gone…-Physical Activity Level, Health Behaviours, and Mental Well-Being of Game Users: A Cross-Sectional Study.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Investigating Challenges in Implementing a Digital Play Intervention in a Complex Organization Across Pediatric Departments: Non-Randomized Controlled Feasibility Trial.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologies · 2025Article
- Adolescents' Assessment of Several Step Tracker Mobile Applications Based on Their Previous Level of Physical Activity.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Article
- The Development of Game-Based Digital Mental Health Interventions: Bridging the Paradigms of Health Care and Entertainment.JMIR serious games · 2023Article
- Mandatory after-school use of step tracker apps improves physical activity, body composition and fitness of adolescents.Education and information technologies · 2023Article
- Device-measured sedentary time in Norwegian children and adolescents in the era of ubiquitous internet access: secular changes between 2005, 2011 and 2018.International journal of epidemiology · 2022Article
- Promoting Physical Activity and Reducing Sedentary Behavior to Prevent Chronic Diseases during the COVID Pandemic and Beyond.Journal of clinical medicine · 2022Article
- Article
- A feasibility study of Augmented Reality Intervention for Safety Education for farm parents and children.Frontiers in public health · 2022Article
- Can the Development of Religious and Cultural Tourism Build a Sustainable and Friendly Life and Leisure Environment for the Elderly and Promote Physical and Mental Health?International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Article
- Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Augmented reality (AR) mobile game, Pokémon GO, leverages gamification and location tracking technology to encourage players to walk in different places to catch Pokémon characters in real-world settings. The systematic review sought to explore the impact Pokémon GO has on players' physical activity (PA), and psychological and social outcomes. Six research databases (PubMed, SPORTDiscus, PsycInfo, Web of Science, Science Direct, and Scopus) were used. Study inclusion criteria were: (1) quantitative research published in English; (2) examined the relationships between or impact of Pokémon GO on PA, psychological, and/or social outcomes; and (3) included participants played or exposed to Pokémon GO. Thirty-six studies were included with a total sample of 38,724 participants. Players had significantly greater PA than non-players in terms of daily steps and number of days spent in moderate PA. Pokémon GO game also improved players' social interactions and their mood/affects. Selective attention and concentration improved in adolescents and memory improved in young adults after playing the game. Findings suggest playing Pokémon GO could promote meaningful improvements in walking behavior, as well as psychological and social well-being. More multidimensional research with randomized controlled trial design is needed to identify factors that influence adoption and sustainability of Pokémon GO playing.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion 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 OpenQuestion graph.