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Abstract

Playing Pokmon Go has been associated with increased physical activity in many studies, but work needs to be done to limit the possibility of confounding variables by showing that physical activity is specifically occurring during habitual gameplay. The purpose of this study was to determine the patterns of active smart phone gameplay (i.e., Pokmon Go) concerning the physical activity frequency, intensity, and time during play.A cross-sectional design and sample of Pokmon Go players in Athens, Georgia were used to answer the research questions. A sample of 48 participants was recruited through Pokmon Go related Facebook groups. Participants reported their demographic characteristics, Pokmon Go relative reinforcing value, contexts in which they played Pokmon Go, and other study related variables. Physical activity levels were assessed for a week using Actigraph accelerometers and gameplay times were reported in response to two text messages sent daily. The overlap of these measures assessed physical activity patterns during gameplay. Descriptive statistics, t-tests, and linear regressions were used to answer the research questions.The sample was evenly split between males and females and generally represented a dedicated group of players. Participants played 116 minutes of Pokmon Go on average per day and spent 22% of gameplay time in moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) compared to 7% of comparable non-gameplay time (t=5.520; x=0.153; p<0.001). Males played at significantly higher physical activity intensities compared to females (=0.14; p=0.01) with 14% more of gameplay time spent in MVPA, but no other participant characteristics were associated with gameplay amount of intensity. Lastly, participants reported playing Pokmon Go while walking to be significantly more reinforcing than walking while not playing Pokmon Go, and participants spent 20% more of gameplay time in MVPA when playing in open public spaces compared to playing at home (t=2.840; x=0.201; p=0.011).This research provides further evidence that Pokmon Go gameplay engages participants in more MVPA than they otherwise would if not playing Pokmon Go. Researchers should understand the varied gameplay patterns when studying Pokmon Go gameplay, and more should be done to promote the use of Pokmon Go, specifically in areas amenable to physical activity.

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