Breath of Fresh Asthmapolis: GPS Inhalers

Dr. Sickle's previous work involved studying asthma and chronic respiratory disease in India but in developing Asthmaoplis he and his team are seeking to better track the environmental factors and triggers to asthma attacks.  His goal is to map where and when environmental exposures trigger asthma symptoms by using inhalers that have a built-in GPS device that signals the central server whenever the puffer is used.  Of course they will also have access to other sets of data including pollutants, pollen, wind direction which will enable them to better track factors impacting lung disease and overall air quality.

[Via Geekosystem - Better Lives for Asthma Sufferers With GPS Inhalers]

What is Asthmapolis? from Asthmapolis on Vimeo.


ExerGame Potential

1. By having realtime data on potential "red" or "danger" zones, players can use the GPS to find alternate routes to their destination. Although, after writing that, I realize the potential to send people to not-so desirable areas. Wait a minute.... GPS units already do that.
2. I could easily see an adapted mobile-motion-gaming title similar to Outbreak! Zombie (location-based RPG). 
3. Maybe the game could tie into the transit system in case the air quality is so poor and then gamers can play the alternate-reality game (ARG) Chromaroma - as featured here earlier.

Via Droid Life

Click here to find more stories about potential exergames

Click here to find more stories about Wouldn't It Be Cool (WIBC) features

Game-On Girls: Pro-social Outcomes of Co-playing VG with parents (study)

Image http://www.flickr.com/photos/madichan/

Can playing video games with your children (co-play) influence behavioral and family outcomes? The authors of this study sought to determine the role co-playing video games had on family connectedness, levels of aggression, and pro-social behavior. By asking questions from numerous other questionnaires like “How often do you play video games with your parent?, and "My parent is responsive to my feelings and needs/ I am responsive to my child’s feelings and needs.” the researchers used structural equation modeling to determine how video game co-playing is a predictor of adolescents’ internalizing problems, aggression, delinquency, prosocial behavior, and connection with parents.

Details:

- n=287 adolescents and their parents

- completed questionnaires on video game play and behavioral and family related questions

Findings:

- Co-playing video games with parents was associated with decreased levels of internalizing and

aggressive behaviors, and heightened prosocial behavior for girls only.

- Co-playing video games was also marginally related to parent–child connectedness for girls

Exergaming Benefits
- Playing regular games together can bring a sense of connectedness between adolescents and parents, but I think sharing a physical exergaming experience heightens that sense even more (relatedness)
- Imagine designing your the look of your avatar with your parents (autonomy)
- Imagine choosing different dance routines that can compliment your and your parents abilities (competency)
- To follow more on the supports and benefits to exergaming as a family, be sure to check out some of the articles listed below - especially Ann Maloney's work from Maine Medical Center Research Institute.

Click here for more studies involving video games in the ExerGame Lab archives. 

Coyne, S., Padilla-Walker, L., Stockdale, L., & Day, R. (2011). Game On… Girls: Associations Between Co-playing Video Games and Adolescent Behavioral and Family Outcomes Journal of Adolescent Health DOI: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2010.11.249

Maloney AE, Bethea TC, Kelsey KS, Marks JT, Paez S, Rosenberg AM, Catellier DJ, Hamer RM, & Sikich L (2008). A pilot of a video game (DDR) to promote physical activity and decrease sedentary screen time. Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.), 16 (9), 2074-80 PMID: 19186332


Paez S, Maloney A, Kelsey K, Wiesen C, & Rosenberg A (2009). Parental and environmental factors associated with physical activity among children participating in an active video game. Pediatric physical therapy : the official publication of the Section on Pediatrics of the American Physical Therapy Association, 21 (3), 245-53 PMID: 19680066

For the abstract, check after the jump...

Can We Design a Fit City? (study)

Myth or Fact?
My colleagues and I often discuss the importance of coordinated planning for all municipalities and governments to create a healthier city and citizens. In Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory - he posits that we each have multiple environmental systems that influence our development physically, cognitively, and affectively (Three domains of learning). In using physical activity as an explicit outcome (instead of an implicit factor or by-product of policy changes).

Herrick, C. (2009). Designing the fit city: public health, active lives, and the (re)instrumentalization of urban space Environment and Planning A, 41 (10), 2437-2454 DOI: 10.1068/a41309
[Via Environment and Planning]

Abstract
The relationship between the built environment, physical activity, and well-being is currently attracting concerted government attention in the UK which has been formalized through new sets of urban planning and design guidelines. In light of this, the author argues that the domains of intersection between the physical environment and governmental health and social agendas need further exploration. Furthermore, she asserts that urban geographers are theoretically and empirically well placed to undertake valuable and much needed research agendas within these domains. To explore these assertions, the author first sets out the recent turn to physical activity as an explicit policy concern. She then critically interrogates two recent sets of design guidelines, Active Design (Sport England) and the 2008 NICE guidance within the context of current UK policy thinking, before exploring the problematic nature of the instrumental readings of space they present. It is argued that this instrumental rationale may sanction the neglect of the intrinsic value and importance of active lives themselves to urban spaces, which, it is asserted, can have marked impacts on well-being. An appreciation of this opens up new geographical research agendas with respect to the built form, public health, and governance.
[Image by Cornell University Library via Flickr]

Related articles

• Toward the Healthy City - People, Places, and the Politics of Urban Planning (healthycities.wordpress.com)

Kinect Sports sets Guinness Record of 10,000+ Simultaneously ExerGaming

Over the weekend, through Xbox Live and Kinect Sports, 10,539 online pals set the Guinness World Record for 'The Largest Online 100 Metre Sprint'. This is exactly the type of events we need to do to promote healthier and more active lifestyle and is the largest Massively Mulitplayer ExerGaming (MMEG) so far - but it is definitely not the last.

Points 2 Ponder (P2P)

• What do you do to get people to be more active and have fun?
• What exergaming event would you like to see attempted next?

Source: Microsoft Kinect shatters hyper-specific Guinness world record

It's in the eyes! Screen-time & PA effects on health (study)

Image by Rishi Menon via FlickrAlInfluence of Physical Activity and Screen Time on the Retinal Microvasculature in Young Children

Details:

• n=1765 (boys), n=2238 (girls)
• Age ~ 6years old
• Parent-completed surveys
• Eye tests (retinal images, retinal vessel meaurements)

Results:

• Children who spent more time outside had better eye health (microvasculuture)
• Children who spent more time watching TV had poorer eye health
• Each hour daily of TV viewing, is associated with a 10-mm Hg increase in systolic blood pressure.

Lead author Gopinath was quoted saying:
"Replacing one hour a day of screen time with physical activity could be effective in buffering the effects of sedentariness on the retinal microvasculature in children. Free play should be promoted and schools should have a mandatory two hours a week in physical activity for children."

Physical activity enhances endothelial function and increases blood flow resulting in enhanced nitric oxide production, which has a positive effect on the linings of blood vessels (Euekalert).

Click here for more studies involving screen-time in the ExerGame Lab archives. 

Gopinath B, Baur LA, Wang JJ, Hardy LL, Teber E, Kifley A, Wong TY, & Mitchell P (2011). Influence of physical activity and screen time on the retinal microvasculature in young children. Arteriosclerosis, thrombosis, and vascular biology, 31 (5), 1233-9 PMID: 21508347
Abstract after the break...

Energy expended by boys playing Exergames (study)

Image by SeeBeeW via Flickr
This paper was completed several years ago as a report for Sport and Recreation New Zealand but its always good to see the published paper. Energy Expenditure and Enjoyment During Nintendo® Wii Active Video Games (AVG): How do they compare to other sedentary and physical activities?

Details:

• within-subjects design,  n=26 (boys), ~ 11 years old
• Categorized into ‘non-users’ (NU), ‘non-frequent users’ (NF) or ‘frequent users’ (FU)
• Played Wii games (bowl, box, tennis, ski, step) for 8 minutes

Results:

• 60-190% EE increase above rest
• NSD between walking and AVG (Ski, box, step)
• AVG not intense enough to contribute to 60 minutes of daily MVPA

Points 2 Ponder (P2P)

• Given the following statement about intensity, it would have been nice to see a table of the differences of the three groups (NU, NF, FU).
• "EE during all AVGs was significantly less than EE 
• during self-paced running. This suggests that even the mostactive AVGs are still performed at a relatively low intensity (≤3 METs) compared to traditional weight baring exercise." (pg 133)
• Although it was noted "The frequency of AVG game play had no effect on metabolic responses during sedentary activities, walking and running or any AVG."
• If participants played with peers, would that have changed the outcomes?
• Were they allowed to choose their own level of play?

White K, Schofield G, & Kilding AE (2011). Energy expended by boys playing active video games. Journal of science and medicine in sport / Sports Medicine Australia, 14 (2), 130-134 PMID: 20810313

Abstract: can be found after the break: