Fooya

Fooya (styled as fooya!) is a medical mobile app[1] which uses gamification of learning and educational entertainment principles to induce children to improve their diet and lifestyle habits, as a scientific and evidence based way to improve health.[2][3][4][5] It was developed by the mHealth company FriendsLearn[6][7] and was featured as a case study of cutting-edge research methods in areas of emerging technology, during the 2018 International Summit on Social and Behavior Change Communication by Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, UNICEF and BBC.[8]

Fooya
Developer(s)FriendsLearn Inc.
Initial releaseNovember 2013 (2013-11)
Stable release
1.88 (Android) /2.0.6 (IOS)
Written inC#
Operating system
TypemHealth
Startup
LicenseFreemium
Websitewww.fooya.com

Fooya uses artificial intelligence in the area of non-communicable disease prevention through technology, known as Digital Vaccines based on neuroscience and cognitive science.[9][10]

In January 2019, Carnegie Mellon University published about ongoing research and global clinical trials involving fooya, as the lead story along with their annual summary of scientific advances "2018 - Year in Review" with independent researchers describing the advances as "a powerful push forward in disease prevention technology".[11]

Fooya has been cited and discussed in Revolutionizing Tropical Medicine, by Dr David Mabey of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, as an example of science based mobile health technology that addresses metabolic syndrome.[12]

Efficacy

Studies have shown that Fooya is able to induce children and young adults to improve their dietary choices[13][14] for overall positive effects on their health.[15][16]

Results of the underlying mechanisms in Fooya have been presented at the 2015 MedicineX Conference at the Stanford School of Medicine,[13] 2015 Biennial Childhood Obesity Conference,[17] 2015 Child Health Bay Area Conference at UCSF School of Medicine and the 2014 ObesityWeek Conference[18]

The Health Gaming Championship
Inaugural World Health Championship: Award Ceremony

Fooya is the official title sponsor of "The Health Gaming Championship", an annual tournament open to professional and amateur Fooya health gamers.[19] The inaugural 2015 edition was conducted at the College of Engineering, Guindy campus in partnership with Rotary International.[20]

Research and clinical trials

Health outcomes of clinical Fooya trials conducted by researchers at the Baylor College of Medicine's Children's Nutrition Research Center were presented at The Obesity Society's 2014 ObesityWeek Conference in Boston.[18]

A paper published in JMIR mHealth & uHealth based on a double blinded randomized controlled trial by independent researchers from Carnegie Mellon University, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health and Hofstra University, showed statistically significant improvement in healthy choices made by children immediately after 20 minutes of exposure. It increased health awareness and health outcomes were sustained during the second dose exposure after a week. The results showed a significant main effect of the mobile game on number of healthy foods actually chosen (treatment 2.48, control 1.10; P<.001; Cohen d=1.25) and identified (treatment 7.3, control 6.94; P=.048; Cohen d=.25). A large variation was observed in children’s game play patterns. Children played an average of 15 game levels in 2 sessions, with a range of 2 to 23 levels. The greatest variation was noted in the proportion of scoring activities that were highly rewarded, with an average of 0.17, ranging from 0.003 to 0.98. Healthy food choice was negatively associated with the number of unhealthy food facts that children read in the game (Kendall τ=–.32, P=.04), even after controlling for baseline food preference.

Initial launch & Crowdfunding

Fooya was first launched as a Facebook App in 2012 at the DEMO Conference in Silicon Valley,[21] and successfully raised over $50,000 through a crowdfunding campaign[22][23] via Kickstarter[24][25]

Textbook Sources
  • Mabey, David (March 2019). Revolutionizing Tropical Medicine - Point-of-Care Tests, New Imaging Technologies & Digital Health, 2nd Edition, (pg 572). Wiley. ISBN 978-1119282648.
  • Gundallapalli, A. V. (31 January 2018). Medinfo 2017: Precision Healthcare Through Informatics: Proceedings of the 16th World Congress on Medical and Health Informatics. International Medical Informatics Association. ISBN 978-1119282648.

References
  1. "fooya!". Mobile Action. January 2016.
  2. Kato-Lin, Yi-Chin; Kumar, Uttara Bharath; Sri Prakash, Bhargav; Prakash, Bhairavi; Varadan, Vasini; Agnihotri, Sanjeeta; Subramanyam, Nrutya; Krishnatray, Pradeep; Padman, Rema (18 November 2020). "Impact of Pediatric Mobile Game Play on Healthy Eating Behavior: Randomized Controlled Trial". JMIR mHealth & uHealth. 8 (11): e15717. doi:10.2196/15717. PMC 7710449. PMID 33206054.
  3. Francisca Bertilia Chaves Costa; Lana Paula Crivelaro Monteiro de Almeida (14 March 2020). "Use of Educational Technologies in the Promotion of Children's Cardiovascular Health: A Systematic Review". Global Health Promotion. 27 (4): 32–41. doi:10.1177/1757975920909119. PMID 32172651. S2CID 212729023.
  4. Scott Barsotti (December 2018). "Can Kids Game their Way to Better Health?". Carnegie Mellon University.
  5. Jude Sannith (3 March 2017). "Fooya: A game for healthy food habits". CNBC.
  6. Bloomberg (6 July 2013). "Next Big Thing: Startups Pitch to Investors". Business Week.
  7. "FriendsLearn Launches Facebook 'Food Fight' as Part of 'Hot' Social Apps Presenting at DEMO Spring 2012 in Silicon Valley". Yahoo. 20 April 2012.
  8. Gael O'Sullivan (April 2018). "An Overview of the Social and Behavior Change Communication Summit". International Social Marketing Association.
  9. Ruapli Mukherjee (29 December 2020). "Now Digital Vaccines to help promote healthy eating in kids". The Times of India.
  10. Tierney King (16 January 2019). "Epic Food Fight Video Game Could Help Educate Children on Healthier Lifestyles". Electronic Component News.
  11. Scott Barsotti (2 January 2019). "Can Kids Game Their Way to Better Health?". Carnegie Mellon University.
  12. Mabey, David (19 March 2019). Revolutionizing Tropical Medicine: Point-of-Care Tests, New Imaging Technologies & Digital Health, 2nd Edition (pg 572). Wiley. ISBN 9781119282655.
  13. Stanford MedicineX (6 July 2015). "Neuropsychology based Behavior Design through Mobile Health Gaming". Stanford University School of Medicine.
  14. Johnston, Craig; Moreno, Jennette (2 November 2014). "A Nutrition Education Mobile Game Impacts Snack Selection in Middle School Students" (PDF). The Obesity Society. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 6 January 2016.
  15. Cromwell Schubarth (31 May 2013). "FriendsLearn Show Food Fights can be Educational". Silicon Valley American City Business Journals.
  16. "Feeding Health Tips through Gaming". The Hindu Business Line. 28 August 2013.
  17. Childhood Obesity Conference (28 June 2015). "Impact of a Neuropsychology based approach to behavior design through mobile gaming (pg 68)" (PDF). 2015 Childhood Obesity Conference.
  18. 2014 ObesityWeek Abstract Book (2 November 2014). "A Nutrition Education Mobile Game Impacts Snack Selection in Middle School Students" (PDF). The Obesity Society. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 6 January 2016.
  19. Express News Service (9 March 2015). "Reciprocity Wave for health". The New Indian Express.
  20. Arun Khurana (31 January 2015). "Health Championship" (PDF). The Southerner: Newsletter of Rotary International.
  21. Democonf (12 April 2012). "fooya launch at DEMO 2012". DEMO.
  22. "FriendsLearn Entertainment launched crowd-funding and awareness Campaign". India Infoline. 21 February 2012.
  23. Dean Takahashi (17 March 2013). "FriendsLearn wrapping up its Kickstarter with Push in to India". Venturebeat.
  24. Rajeev Mehta (22 February 2013). "FriendsLearn Launches Online Game 'Fooya' to Address Global Health Issues". Lots Buzz Times.
  25. Technology Correspondent (25 February 2013). "FriendsLearn's new online game 'Fooya'". Techherald.
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