DLSU Senior High School Research Congress Conference Proceedings
Document Type
Paper Presentation
Research Advisor (Last Name, First Name, Middle Initial)
Torres, Myrla D.
Abstract/Executive Summary
The increasing prevalence of sedentary behavior among adolescents, inadvertently from the rapid integration of technology in day-to-day lives, raises concerns about the physical health of modern lifestyles. As teenagers and students spend more time on their phones, there is an urgent need to reframe digital tools as a solution for inactivity. This study aims to develop and evaluate Fitness Odyssey, a fitness application that gamifies physical activities, making them more engaging and rewarding for adolescents. The application tracks six primary exercises—walking, push-ups, sit-ups, squats, jumping jacks, and lunges—using a mobile phone’s accelerometer, developed with the Godot software engine. The research employs a quantitative approach, including a 14-day in-house test, to investigate tracking accuracy and participants' motivational trends and behavioral responses, using inferential and descriptive statistics. Results are collected through logs from the application. Results show a high tracking accuracy of 96.97% and a mean absolute percentage error of 7.58%, with discrepancies attributed to variations in body composition and exercise techniques. Additionally, engagement analysis reveals a peak on the fifth day followed by a decline, suggesting that gamification boosts short-term motivation, but long-term engagement may require additional strategies to sustain it.
Keywords
fitness application; gamification; health; motivation; physical activity