Trial reportBMC public health2025
The effectiveness of the Naji Iriano health video game in enhancing physical activity outcomes in children: a randomized controlled trial.
Trial report in BMC public health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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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.
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Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
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Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundChildhood obesity and physical inactivity are growing global concerns, particularly in developing countries. Traditional interventions have shown limited success in fostering sustained physical activity (PA) behaviors among children. Serious games and active video games offer an engaging alternative by integrating behavior change techniques within immersive digital environments. This study evaluated the effectiveness of Naji Iriano, a culturally adapted health video game, in improving motivation, self-efficacy, and PA prioritization among children in Bushehr, Iran.
methodsThis randomized clinical trial included 128 primary school students aged 9-12 years, who were allocated to either an intervention group (Naji Iriano) or a control group (no intervention). Assessments were conducted at baseline, 6 weeks post-intervention onset (Post-test-1), and 6 weeks post-intervention completion (Post-test-2). Data collection tools included questionnaires measuring PA motivation, self-efficacy, prioritization, and the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Children (PAQ-C). Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20, employing chi-square tests, independent t-tests, and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) with a significance level of 0.05.
resultsThe adjusted ANCOVA analysis showed significant group differences. The intervention group showed significant improvements in PA self-efficacy (p < 0.001), PA prioritization (p < 0.001), and PA levels (p < 0.001) at both Post-test-1 and Post-test-2 compared to the control group. However, no significant changes were observed in body mass index (BMI) between the groups (p = 0.799). Although PA motivation increased at Post-test-1, this effect was not sustained at Post-test-2 after controlling for covariates (p = 0.968).
conclusionsHealth video games such as Naji Iriano can effectively enhance psychological and behavioral determinants of PA in children, providing a scalable, engaging strategy for obesity prevention. Future research should explore long-term adherence, emphasizing the role of parental involvement and environmental support in sustaining behavior change.
trial registrationThis trial was registered in the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT) on 2019-01-02, registration number: IRCT20130317012830N33.
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