Nine research teams from universities across the U.S. will study how interactive video games such as the Wii Active could help fight childhood obesity and how mobile phone games could help smokers quit or reduce tobacco use.

The teams will also focus on how video games can be designed to help people change behaviors and self-manage chronic illnesses as well as improve communication with autistic patients.

 

One of the nine grant recipients is Teachers College, Columbia University, in New York, which develops and evaluates a smoking reduction game delivered on a mobile phone.

 

The article "University researchers to study video games' effect on health" was published on November 6th, 2009 in "Computerworld" website. http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9140416/University_researchers_to_study_video_games_effect_on_health