Gaming Healthy Lifestyle Development: Participatory Game Design with young people participating in a healthy weight management programme.

Project Ref: PHDED1705. Integrated approaches to health and wellbeing, particularly those addressing obesity emphasise participation and user engagement. Scaling up effective approaches is taking on new networked forms in which participants have an increasing role to play. However, this combination of agendas is not well researched with much more known about initiatives in the early years (Olds et al 2013, Fixsen and Blase 2008) than for older children (Sacher 2010 et al). Research shows that factors contributing to children’s wellbeing are complex and dependant on interlocking dynamics with families’ coping strategies (Ipsos Mori and Nairn 2011). MEND (Mind Education Nutrition Do it!) is a RCT evidenced (Sacher et al 2010) family based healthy weight programme that addresses the complex dynamics and gives families tools to strategies effectively across them to improve their wellbeing. There are several groups of young people who have participated in this programme to achieve a healthier lifestyle. The support organisations that work with them are keen to develop mechanisms to help them maintain and further their progress.

The studentship project will draw on recent work Dr. Beth Cross has done with this group that used active game techniques to involve children and young people in mapping their experience of MEND and generate ideas to improve it (Campbell, Lewitt, Cross 2017). This participatory technique can form the basis for developing digital applications that help children and young people co-produce activities that extend active lifestyle choices beyond MEND sessions, drawing on design features that SCET has already developed and incorporating GPS linking mechanisms such as those used in Pokemon Go. The proposed partners for this project have an impressive track record with skilled and enterprising local proponents. This project has important research and enterprise opportunities with the potential for significant national and international impact.

The successful candidate will have a solid foundation in game design, game application development, or game programming. Experience in user-led or participatory design, or working with children and young people will also be of benefit.