Study: Pokemon Go increases physical activity, but not for long

The physical activity of adult Pokemon Go players is increasing, but the effect is moderate and short-lived. This conclusion was made by researchers from Harvard University.

The results showed that the average daily number of steps during the first week after installing the game increased by 955 additional steps, which is equivalent to half the norm recommended by the World Health Organization for physical activity per week.
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The following weeks there was a gradual reduction in the number of steps, and this effect disappeared altogether after 6 weeks of play. It was suggested that the game can increase physical activity and improve the health of the population, because it stimulates walking, but this hypothesis was not confirmed.

Scientists Katherine Howe, Christian Suharlim, and Peter Ueda, have set out to determine whether the game has any effect on physical activity among young people in the United States. They conducted an online survey of 1182 Pokemon trainers aged 18–35 who played the game on their iPhone 6 during August 2016. Owners of these smartphones got into the sample for the reason that Apple devices automatically record the number of steps that the smartphone owner takes when transferring the device, starting with iOS 8. This allowed scientists to analyze the physical activity of the experiment participants two months before installing Pokemon Go and compare indicators.


According to the survey results, 560 study participants (47.4%) were at level 5 or higher, which can be reached after about two hours of walking. 90% of all players who participated in the experiment, installed Pokemon Go within 10 days after the release. The game was spread among various subgroups of the population, but as a rule, younger users had lower levels of education and income, were overweight and tended to spend more time alone with themselves than other people, compared to more adult subjects.

A month before installing Pokemon Go, participants walked an average of 4,256 steps per day. The corresponding indicators for those participants in the experiment that the game was not established turned out to be at the level of 4126 per day. After installing the game, the number of steps among users has increased dramatically, and those who have not played it, as expected, remained unchanged.


The average number of daily steps and 95% confidence interval a week before installing Pokemon Go and after (median July 8, 2016).

The results showed that the number of steps that participants perform daily during the first week after installing the game increased by 955. If we assume that the participants in the experiment on average took steps 0.8 m long at a pace of 4 km / h, then we get 11 minutes extra walking is about half the WHO recommended rate. However, over the next 5 weeks, the number of steps gradually decreases, and in the sixth week, their number drops to the level before installation. Scientists clarify that the results did not depend on gender, age, race, body mass index, city or area of ​​residence.


Average daily number of steps before and after installing Pokemon Go. Confidence intervals are estimated using the difference in regression models.

Researchers believe that the impact of the game on health can not be called impressive - rather, moderate. Activities aimed at increasing physical activity, suggest an increase in the number of steps to 2500 per day. Even if less physical activity would also be important for health, an increase in the number of steps from Pokemon Go, like many other interventions in the field of physical activity, is not supported by people for a long time. The game can also entail risks, such as injury or accidents.

The study also has its limitations. Steps were recorded when the subjects carried a smartphone. This can lead to an overestimation of the effect of Pokemon Go, since the experiment participant may show physical activity, for example, play football or other outdoor games, while the phone is in your pocket. In this case, the steps will be recorded in the Pokemon Go account, although at this point the research participant was engaged in very different things. Another accuracy of the study is also limited by the accuracy of the iPhone pedometer. Although the connection between the game and the increase in physical activity was fragile and short-lived, some people could significantly increase physical activity through the game. In addition, the effect of Pokemon Go may differ from the experience that children receive from interacting with the game, but they were not taken into account in the study. Nevertheless, scientists believe that potential benefits can be obtained from the game, for example, increased social interaction and improved mood.

Pokemon Go is a game based on augmented reality technology, in which users search for Pokemon in real-life locations. Since its launch in July 2016, the game has been downloaded more than 500 million times around the world, but in September, interest in Pokemon Go among users has declined. Scientists believe that games that stimulate increased physical activity can potentially support good habits. So, Pokemon Go players have to walk a lot around the city to catch as many different types of pokemon as possible.

Scientific work published in the journal BMJ on December 13, 2016
DOI: BMJ 2016; 355: i6270