A new research has found that kids can now increase their vegetable and fruit intake, which is said to be an ideal for a healthy lifestyle, by using serious video games 'Squires Quest! II
Researchers from the United States Department of Agriculture / Agricultural Research Service Children's Nutrition Research Center at Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children's Hospital have evaluated how creating an implementation intentions (i.e. specific plans) within the goal-setting component in the game helped the fourth and fifth grade students improve fruit and vegetable intake at specific meals.
Lead researcher Karen Cullen from Children's Nutrition Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine, said by using a serious video game, they saw an increase in meal-specific vegetable intake at dinner for the children in the Action and Coping groups and fruit intake at breakfast, lunch and snacks for all intervention groups.
For the study, 400 children played 10 episodes of Squires Quest! II, an online video game that promotes fruit and vegetable intake, in which they either created action or coping implementation intentions, both, or did not create implementation intentions during the goal-setting process to eat fruit and vegetables at specific meals.
Research found that the increasing intake of fruits and vegetables among fourth and fifth grade students via serious video game play showed promising results, but more work must be done to ensure children meet their recommended intake.
The study is published in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior.
