Helping overweight and obese Veterans become more active using games and social support
Official title: A Randomized Trial of Behaviorally Designed Gamification and Social Incentives to Increase Physical Activity Among Overweight and Obese Veterans
Funded at Philadelphia VA Medical Center · NIH-11123243 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project is testing if a fun, game-like program with social encouragement can help overweight and obese Veterans become more physically active.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Philadelphia VA Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project start | June 1, 2022 |
| Project end | May 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| NIH project number | 5I01HX003286-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11123243 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are overweight or obese Veterans who have high blood pressure and are looking for new ways to increase their physical activity.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are not Veterans, are not overweight or obese, or are already highly physically active may not find direct benefit from this specific program.
What this research studies
We are exploring new ways to help Veterans get more physical activity, which is important for their heart health and overall well-being. This program uses game-like features, like points and levels, combined with insights into how people make decisions. We will also include social encouragement, such as working with others or friendly competition, to help Veterans stay motivated. The goal is to see if these approaches can lead to lasting changes in physical activity and improve health.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this program could offer a new, engaging way for Veterans to increase their physical activity, potentially reducing their risk of heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure.
How similar studies have gone: Our group has seen success with similar game-like and social approaches in other settings, and this project builds on pilot work specifically with Veterans.
Where this research is happening
-
Philadelphia VA Medical Center
Philadelphia, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Greysen, Scott Ryan — Philadelphia VA Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Greysen, Scott Ryan
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.