Research pick: Game on - "Gamified features as a mediator of fitness app engagement: a cross-sectional study"

The growing fitness app market is being shaped less by technical features than by the power of play, according to research in the International Journal of Business and Emerging Markets that has examined what keeps users returning to digital workout platforms.

The research has focused on China, which has more than 400 million fitness app users and an annual market value exceeding USD 14billion. It could be said that China leads the world in fitness app adoption. Users frequently combine several apps with wearable devices such as smartwatches to track workouts, monitor health metrics, and follow guided exercise programmes. That said, keeping users engaged remains a challenge, as many abandon apps once the novelty wears off and their initial motivation fades or their routines change. As such, understanding what might drive sustained use has become a priority for developers and marketers alike.

The study has found that among a sample of several hundred Chinese fitness app users, gamification, the incorporation of game-like elements such as badges, challenges, leaderboards, and rewards, can play an important role in encouraging long-term engagement. The researchers examined four behavioural factors commonly associated with technology adoption: performance expectancy (the perceived usefulness of the app), social influence (the impact of peers and community), hedonic motivation (the enjoyment derived from use), and habit. Surprisingly, none of these factors directly predicted whether a user would carry on using an app, but those factors did influence how much users interacted with the gamified features and so in turn determined ongoing engagement to a degree.

The findings indicate that gamification acts as a crucial intermediary. It can convert expectations, social context, enjoyment, and habits into sustained app use. Features such as progress tracking, interactive storytelling, and peer challenges were particularly effective, the team found. They point out that in China’s collectivist society, where social cohesion and community participation are culturally emphasised, gamified peer interactions were particularly strong.

Gong, Y. and Yi, J. (2025) ‘Gamified features as a mediator of fitness app engagement: a cross-sectional study’, Int. J. Business and Emerging Markets, Vol. 17, No. 6, pp.1–29.