The effectiveness of an Instagram-based educational game in a Bachelor of Nursing course: An experimental study.

BACKGROUND: Gamification is a novel educational method that adopts elements of games to motivate students using participatory learning. The objective of this study was to measure the effect of participation in an Instagram-based educational game on learning outcomes. METHOD: Experimental design with 291 university students in a first-year course of the Bachelor of Nursing during the 2020-21 academic year. RESULTS: After ruling out pretest sensitization, we identified a positive effect of participation in the educational game. An average improvement of 0.62 points was observed in the final grade of the students belonging to the experimental groups. CONCLUSION: Nursing undergraduate students participating an Instagram-based educational game had better learning outcomes than their counterparts who did not participate in the game.

[Perceptions and external factors of physical activity in adolescents using mixed methods]. / Percepciones y factores externos de la actividad física en adolescentes mediante métodos mixtos.

OBJECTIVE: Analyze the levels of physical activity in adolescents and their relationship with perceptions of physical activity and external factors. METHOD: Cross-sectional descriptive observational study. The participants were adolescents between the ages of 11 and 18. They were recruited in secondary schools in the municipality of Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain. The measurements were amount of physical activity (IPAQ-A questionnaire) and the relationship between level of physical activity and the perceptions of physical activity and external factors proposed by the health promotion model. RESULTS: Of the total sample, 60.34% participants were insufficiently active. The factors positively associated with physical activity were male gender (p<0.01), engaging in extracurricular sports (p<0.01), perceiving benefits (p<0.01), perceiving self-efficacy (p<0.01), interpersonal influences (p<0.01), having parents who engage in sports (p<0.01), social support (p<0.01) and social norms supporting exercise (p<0.01). The factors negatively associated with physical activity were female gender (p<0.01), body mass index (p=0.048) and perceiving obstacles (p<0.01). There was no relationship with social class (p=0.164). Situational influences were a conditioning factor for boys (p<0.01), but not girls (p=0.561). CONCLUSIONS: This study identifies factors that determinate the practice of physical activity in adolescents. Taking these factors into account in the design of health promotion interventions and policies could help increase levels of physical activity in this population. Even so, there are some variables, such as gender and socioeconomic status, that should be explored in depth through research that is more exploratory and discursive.

Percepciones y factores externos de la actividad física en adolescentes mediante métodos mixtos / Perceptions and external factors of physical activity in adolescents using mixed methods

Objetivo: Analizar los niveles de actividad física en adolescentes y su relación con las percepciones sobre actividad física y con los factores externos. Método: Estudio observacional descriptivo transversal. Participaron adolescentes entre 11 y 18 años, reclutados/as en los centros de educación secundaria del municipio de Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona. Las mediciones consistieron en la valoración del nivel de actividad física mediante el cuestionario IPAQ-A y la relación del nivel de práctica de actividad física con las percepciones sobre actividad física y con los factores externos descritos en el modelo de promoción de la salud de Pender. Resultados: El 60,34% de los/las adolescentes fueron insuficientemente activos/as. Los factores asociados positivamente a la práctica de actividad física fueron el sexo masculino (p < 0,01), hacer deporte extraescolar (p < 0,01), la percepción de beneficios (p < 0,01), la percepción de autoeficacia (p < 0,01), las influencias interpersonales (p < 0,01), que los padres y las madres hagan deporte (p < 0,01), los modelos (p < 0,01) y las normas (p < 0,01). Los factores correlacionados asociados negativamente fueron el sexo femenino (p < 0,01), el índice de masa corporal (p = 0,048) y la percepción de barreras (p < 0,01). No se halló relación con la clase social (p = 0,164). Las influencias situacionales fueron un factor condicionante en los chicos (p < 0,01), pero no en las chicas (p = 0,561). Conclusiones: Este estudio identifica factores que determinan la práctica de actividad física en los/las adolescentes, que teniéndolos en cuenta en el diseño de intervenciones y políticas de promoción podrían ayudar a aumentar los niveles actuales. Aun así, existen algunos condicionantes, como el sexo y la clase social, que habría que estudiar con profundidad mediante investigaciones más exploratorias y discursivas. (AU)

Objective: Analyze the levels of physical activity in adolescents and their relationship with perceptions of physical activity and external factors. Method: Cross-sectional descriptive observational study. The participants were adolescents between the ages of 11 and 18. They were recruited in secondary schools in the municipality of Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain. The measurements were amount of physical activity (IPAQ-A questionnaire) and the relationship between level of physical activity and the perceptions of physical activity and external factors proposed by the health promotion model. Results: Of the total sample, 60.34% participants were insufficiently active. The factors positively associated with physical activity were male gender (p < 0.01), engaging in extracurricular sports (p < 0.01), perceiving benefits (p < 0.01), perceiving self-efficacy (p < 0.01), interpersonal influences (p < 0.01), having parents who engage in sports (p < 0.01), social support (p < 0.01) and social norms supporting exercise (p < 0.01). The factors negatively associated with physical activity were female gender (p < 0.01), body mass index (p = 0.048) and perceiving obstacles (p < 0.01). There was no relationship with social class (p = 0.164). Situational influences were a conditioning factor for boys (p < 0.01), but not girls (p = 0.561). Conclusions: This study identifies factors that determinate the practice of physical activity in adolescents. Taking these factors into account in the design of health promotion interventions and policies could help increase levels of physical activity in this population. Even so, there are some variables, such as gender and socioeconomic status, that should be explored in depth through research that is more exploratory and discursive. (AU)

Gamification on Instagram: Nursing students' degree of satisfaction with and perception of learning in an educational game.

BACKGROUND: Gamification has been shown to lead to greater motivation and participation among students. Currently, many teachers use social networks to share supplementary course materials and student work, but they have not incorporated gamified educational activities into social networking sites. OBJECTIVE: To determine nursing students' satisfaction with an Instagram-based educational game and their perceptions of its effects on their learning. DESIGN: We conducted a cross-sectional, descriptive, observational study. PARTICIPANTS: First-year nursing students in the subject "Dietetics and Nutrition". RESULTS: Of the total sample, 71.7 % agreed that gamification had helped them assimilate the content. Between 66 % and 70 % agreed that the experience had motivated them to keep up with the subject and learn more about the topic, that it had helped them to better understand certain concepts of the subject, that they would recommend the experience to other students, and that they enjoyed the experience of playing a game while learning. 71.7 % of them were in favour of increased use of gamification in other subjects. CONCLUSIONS: The use of an Instagram-based educational game as a complement to in-class teaching was useful, enjoyable, and motivating for the acquisition of new knowledge.