School-Based Interventions for Promoting Physical Activity Using Games and Gamification: A Systematic Review Protocol

At the cultural interface: A systematic review of study characteristics and cultural integrity from twenty years of randomised controlled trials with Indigenous participants

Purpose and aim

To identify and describe characteristics of Randomised Control Trial (RCT) design, implementation, and interpretation with a view tostrengtheningen the cultural integrity and scientific quality of this genre of research when used with, for and by Indigenous peoples.

Issue

RCTs are widely regarded as the 'gold standard' method for evaluating the efficacy of an intervention. However, issues of cultural acceptability and higher attrition rates among RCT participants from diverse populations, including Indigenous participants, have been reported. A better understanding of cultural acceptability and attrition rates of RCTs has the potential to impact the translation of findings into effective policies, programs and practice.

Method

A search of four electronic databases identified papers describing RCTs enrolling exclusively Australian Indigenous peoples over a 20-year period. The RCTs were assessed using: The Effective Public Health Practice Project's Quality Assessment Tool (EPHPP) and the Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Quality Appraisal Tool (QAT). The scores for each paper and the average scores of all papers were visualised using a Microsoft Excel™ Filled Radar Plot.

Results

Seventeen trials met the inclusion criteria. There was wide variation in the quality of the included trials as assessed by the EPHPP and almost universally poor results when assessed for cultural appropriateness and integrity by the QAT.

Conclusion

The value of the RCT research method, when applied to ultimately improve Australian Indigenous peoples' health, is diminished if issues of cultural integrity are not intrinsic to study design and execution. Our review found that it is feasible to have an RCT with both strong cultural integrity and high scientific quality. Attention to cultural integrity and community engagement, along with methodological rigour, may strengthen community ownership and contribute to more successful study adherence and potentially more effective translation of study findings into policy and practice.

Gamification as a health education strategy of adolescents at school: Protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis

The objective of the study is to present a systematic review and meta-analysis protocol for evaluating the effects of health education gamification-based interventions, on health parameters (food consumption, sleep quality and physical activity) of adolescent students. This protocol was registered on the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) database (CRD42022373833). The search will be performed in the following databases: MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, ERIC, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, Cochrane, LILACS, APA, and ADOLEC. Intervention studies (clinical trials - randomized or non-randomized) and quasi-experimental studies will be included. The risk of bias will be assessed using the Risk of Bias in Non-randomized Studies of Interventions tool for randomized controlled trials, non- randomized controlled trials and quasi-experimental trials. Two independent researchers will conduct all assessments, and any disagreements will be consulted with a third reviewer. Data analysis and synthesis will be analyzed using RevMan 5.4.1 software. We will conduct the study in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Protocols (PRISMA-P) guideline. The review will summarize the current evidence on gamification health education changes in parameters related to the health of adolescents. Gamification has been used to verify the increase in adherence to healthy habits or the development of health-related skills, but there are still few results for the adolescent population. We expect that the systematic review could indicate strategies with gamification interventions and also determine how these strategies can improve health parameters of adolescent students, and they will be available as a reference for these interventions.