The Impact of Playing Super U on Pre-adolescents' Body Image

NCT05669053 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: HAS.22.11.040
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 2,941
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Body image concerns can have serious physical and psychological consequences on young people, including anxiety, depression, risk taking behaviours, eating disorders and suicidal ideation. Micro-interventions (brief, low intensity interventions), offer an alternative to traditional, intense interventions that aim to immediately improve specific symptoms. Body image micro-interventions have proven effective at providing immediate and short-term improvements in body image among adolescents within digital and community settings. To date, utilising micro interventions in the world of gaming remains unexplored. Specifically, the Roblox platform which is hugely popular among young people (Roblox, September 2022). As such, the aim of the present study is to conduct a randomised controlled trial (RCT) to evaluate the immediate and short-term impact of a Roblox game, Super U story, on American children and adolescents' body image, mood, internalisation of appearance ideals and social media literacy. The primary outcome is immediate change in state-based body satisfaction. Secondary outcomes include immediate changes in state-based mood and body functionality and short-term changes in trait body esteem, body appreciation, internalisation of appearance ideals and social media literacy. The Super U story was developed through a collaboration between Dove (Unilever), Toya (game developers) and The Centre for Appearance Research. It was specifically designed to target sociocultural risk and protective factors for body image including social media literacy, appearance comparisons, positive body image and teasing/bullying around appearance. The comparison control conditions include an active control; an alternative Roblox game; Rainbow Friends story which has been matched to the intervention on style, length, and age appropriateness (omitting body image messaging) and an attention control whereby participants complete a series of word searches. To undertake the main trial, 1,479 girls and boys will be recruited through an external research agency. Participants will be randomised to one of three conditions: 1) the Super U story intervention, 2) alternative Roblox game or 3) attention control. All participants will be encouraged to play the game/word search for a maximum of 30 minutes, where they will be assessed on state-body image and mood immediately before and after completing the game/word search. All participants will be assessed on trait body esteem, body appreciation, internalisation of appearance ideals and social media literacy at baseline (one week pre-intervention) and again at one-week post intervention. At the end of the study, all participants will receive a debrief form, outlining the study aims and objectives, and additional resources for body and eating concerns.

Conditions

Body Image

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Change in state body satisfaction (assessed via Visual Analogue Scales)

  Visual analogue scales will assess participants state level of body satisfaction. Items include: (1) "How happy do you feel about your body weight, right now?" (2) "How happy do you feel about your body shape, right now?" (3) "How happy do you feel about the way you look, right now?" Participants indicate their levels of satisfaction on a 10-point VAS (0 = extreme dissatisfaction; 10 = extreme satisfaction). A mean score across the three items will be calculated with higher scores indicating higher state body satisfaction.

  Immediately pre-intervention and immediately post-intervention

Secondary Outcomes (6)

• Change in state mood (assessed via a Visual Analogue Scale)

  Immediately pre-intervention and immediately post-intervention

• Change in state body functionality (assessed via a Visual Analogue Scale)

  Immediately pre-intervention and immediately post-intervention

• Change in body esteem (assessed via the Body Esteem Scale for Children)

  Baseline (one week prior to the intervention) and follow up (one week after the intervention is complete)

• Change in body appreciation (assessed via the Body Appreciation Scale -2 for Children)

  Baseline (one week prior to the intervention) and follow up (one week after the intervention is complete)

• Change in Internalisation of societal appearance ideals (assessed via the Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire-3:General Subscale)

  Baseline (one week prior to the intervention) and follow up (one week after the intervention is complete)

Other Outcomes (2)

• Total acceptability of the intervention (assessed via a self report questionnaire)

  Immediately post-intervention

• Total engagement in the intervention (assessed via a self-report questionnaire)

  Immediately post-intervention

Study Arms (3)

Super U Story intervention

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants in this condition will be asked to play the Roblox video game, Super U Story with the goal of reaching the end of the game (approximately 20-30 minutes)

Behavioral: Super U Story intervention

Alternative Roblox game

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Participants in this condition will be asked to play the Roblox video game, Rainbow Friends Story (Color Story) with the goal of reaching the end of the game (approximately 20-30 minutes)

Behavioral: Alternative Roblox game

Online word search

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Participants in this attention control condition will be asked to complete as many online word searches on the topic of animals as they can in 20-30 minutes.

Behavioral: Online word search

Interventions

Super U Story intervention BEHAVIORAL

Participants in this condition will be asked to play a Roblox adventure video game called 'Super U Story'. They will play the game once and have between 6 - 30 minutes to complete the game.

Super U Story intervention

Alternative Roblox game BEHAVIORAL

Participants in this condition will be asked to play an alternative Roblox adventure video game called Rainbow Friends Story (colour story). They will play the game once and have between 6 - 30 minutes to complete the game.

Alternative Roblox game

Online word search BEHAVIORAL

Participants in this condition will have 20 minutes to complete a series of word searches online.

Online word search

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 9 Years - 13 Years
• Gender Eligibility Details: Participants who self-identify as girls or boys.
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17)

You may qualify if:

• based in the United States
• aged between 9 and 13 years old
• use the Roblox gaming platform a minimum of 4 hours per week
• can read and write on their own

You may not qualify if:

• has played Super U Story
• do not have the written consent from a parent / caregiver to participate

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of the West of England: lead
• Unilever R&D: collaborator
• C+R research agency: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Centre for Appearance Research

Bristol, BS16 1qy, United Kingdom

Location

Related Publications (1)

• Paraskeva N, Haywood S, Anquandah J, White P, Budhraja M, Diedrichs PC, Williamson H. Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Roblox Video Game (Super U Story) in Improving Body Image Among Children and Adolescents in the United States: Randomized Controlled Trial. J Med Internet Res. 2025 Jul 31;27:e66625. doi: 10.2196/66625.

  PMID: 40743518 DERIVED

Study Officials

• Nicole Paraskeva, DHealth

  University of the West of England

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Masking Details: The datasets given to the statistician will be blinded to the condition.
• Purpose: PREVENTION
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: December 14, 2022
• First Posted: December 30, 2022
• Study Start: January 7, 2023
• Primary Completion: March 12, 2023
• Study Completion: March 19, 2023
• Last Updated: August 25, 2023

Record last verified: 2023-08

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

GB (1)