ArticleMental health and physical activity2025
Improving health behaviors and symptoms in youth with mental health disorders: The GamerFit RCT.
Article in Mental health and physical activity, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
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
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Increasing Physical Activity in Educational Settings Using Mixed Reality Technology: Iterative Formative Study.JMIR formative research · 2026Article
- Clinician Perspectives on Incorporating Physical Activity and Sleep Prescriptions Using eHealth for Youth With Comorbid Psychiatric Disorders: Qualitative Focus Group Study.JMIR formative research · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
Abstract
Objective: We tested GamerFit, a theory-based health coaching and exergaming intervention delivered via mHealth app for feasibility and preliminary efficacy to improve physical activity (PA), sleep, perceptions of barriers and support, and mental health outcomes in youth with heterogeneous/comorbid mental health disorders (HCMHD). Methods: A convenience sample of youth ages 13-17 with HCMHD were recruited via clinical referral, listservs, and media platforms. The primary outcome of feasibility was assessed relative to the original intervention, which was not delivered via mHealth app. Groupings were randomized 1:1 to the 12-wk GamerFit intervention arm (GamerFit) or active comparator arm (AC) using single-blind design to assess preliminary efficacy. GamerFit participants used the mHealth app and a Fitbit Results: 62 participants were randomized (15.0 ± 1.5 avg age, 24 % female-identifying, 21 % non-white, 74 % on medication). GamerFit averaged 88 % coaching attendance, 34.8 min/wk exergaming, and 8033 steps/day, exceeding the original intervention's feasibility benchmarks for coaching attendance and steps per day, but not exergaming minutes per week. Parental/participant acceptability/accessibility was high. Days/wk of PA increased significantly in GamerFit vs. AC (diff 2.0 ± 0.9, 95 % CI, p = 0.04). GamerFit significantly improved sleep hygiene, sleep quality, barriers to exercise, emotional and informational support, affect, and reduced unhealthy days; AC did not. GamerFit showed clinically meaningful improvements on all self-regulation sub-scales; AC did not. Conclusions: GamerFit shows promise to improve health behaviors and outcomes among youth with HCMHD. An effectiveness RCT should take place in a more racially/ethnically diverse population.
Identifiers
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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.