No abstract

Esports is a rapidly growing industry worldwide, and it is making significant inroads in Hong Kong as well. However, owing to debates regarding the distinction between Esports and video gaming and the potential negative effects of engaging in Esports, its development in Hong Kong is still in its infancy. Therefore, this qualitative study investigated the perceptions and attitudes of teenagers and young adults toward Esports development and engagement, using the theory of planned behavior. Twenty-five teenagers and young adults (male = 24, female =1) participated in this study, with their ages ranging from 15 to 29 years. Our results revealed the views of Hong Kong teenagers and young adults on the beneficial and deleterious outcomes (goal setting and achievement, physical health, socialization and teamwork, psychological benefits, academics and time distribution, physical strain, negative social image, and perception toward sport participation), subjective norms (parents, peers, teachers, and modeling effect), and barriers and facilitators (balance between academics and Esports, capability, career prospects and future reality, psychological benefits, and peer encouragement and support) of participating in Esports. Additionally, the results of this qualitative study may contribute toward a deeper understanding of Hong Kong Esports players to develop a theory of planned behavior construct for capturing the beliefs and perceptions of Hong Kong teenagers toward Esports.

Esports have grown to become a core part of popular culture in many countries, including Hong Kong. Albeit the low participation rates in Esports in Hong Kong, it was starting to gain traction, yet the local Esports advocates were experiencing challenges in promoting and popularizing the Esport. Hence, the current study was aimed to identify and reveal the determinants of participating in Esports, as well as strengthen the work on Esports behaviors using the theory of planned behavior (TPB), a reliable and valid prominent theory in predicting human behavior across a plethora of contexts, ranging from health-related behaviors to sport consumption behaviors. In the current study, the convenience sampling method was used to recruit over 2000 students (secondary school, N = 1567 ( female = 615 ); university students, N = 1525 ( female = 255 ). The students were invited to participate in the survey for collecting their perception on Esports participation using TPB-based questionnaire. Results were analyzed using theoretical analysis and structural equation modeling (SEM). The results show that both secondary school and university students have positive attitudes toward Esports. The outcomes indicated that participating in Esports develops social networks, and people with professional Esports’ skills capability and being fortitude tend to be models of Esports participation. However, inadequate resources are a significant barrier to participation in the Esports business. The SEM model verified that the variables of intention in Esports participation among the students in Hong Kong with an adequate goodness of fit index. As a whole, the current study has identified the factors and determinants of Esports’ intention and behavior among Hong Kong students, which were successfully displayed in terms of the theory of planned behavior. In addition, the findings are expected to provide the Hong Kong government with a documented framework to advocate Esports-related policies on a long-term basis.

The aging Chinese population is growing fast, and the proportion of the population aged 60 years old is projected to reach 28% by 2040, estimated 402 million. With increased life expectancy, the aging population tends to suffer from health risks and diseases, which create a burden on public health policy. Hence, it is essential to promote healthy and active aging, which includes improving older adults' physical and mental capacities and advocating for the achievement of a healthy life expectancy. Despite the rapidly growing aging population in China, there have been no reviews investigating the effect of physical activity on physical and mental health among older Chinese adults. Therefore, the current study aimed to review studies from the past 15 years that illustrate the effect of physical activity on physical and mental health among Chinese older adults. Based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) extension for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR), this review addresses the associations between physical activity, physical health and mental health among older Chinese adults. A total of 371 studies were included in the scoping review, which covered the relationships between physical activity, physical health and mental health variables. The scoping review also revealed the impact of various kinds of physical activity affecting older adults' physical health, such as functional fitness, body composition, fall risk and balance, and mental health issues, such as depression, anxiety, cognitive function and quality of life. Moreover, studies have identified innovative forms of physical activity as emerging trends in physical activity interventions for older adults. To conclude, this scoping review captured the common effects between physical activity and overall wellbeing, including physical, mental, and cognitive health. Additionally, diverse forms of physical activity intervention, such as group-based and supervised individual interventions, should be supported, and cross-cultural exercise comparisons should be made in future explorations.

(1) Background: Square dancing is an emerging form of aerobic exercise in China, especially among middle-aged and older people. The benefits of square dancing have been investigated and promoted in recent years through research and interventions. Interventions have been conducted to promote the participants’ reactionary participation in physical activity, social and family cohesion, and other psychological benefits. Therefore, square dancing has been promoted as a major factor in China’s increase in physical activity prevalence. (2) Methods: A systematic review was used to identify studies that have indicated the effect of square dancing on the physical and mental health among Chinese older adults. (3) Results: Twenty-four studies examining the effects of square dancing on older Chinese adults were extracted. These studies were not found in English databases. The quality of the retrieved studies had a moderate-to-high risk of bias. Square dancing interventions were shown to result in effective mental, physical, and cognitive improvements in the systematic synthesis. (4) Conclusions: This study examined the effects of square dancing in China over the past 10 years on the physical and mental health of older adults. Based on the results of this study, recommendations can be made for future square dance interventions for older adults such as male-oriented, mixed-gender, or intergenerational programs.