Effects of a giant exercising board game intervention on ambulatory physical activity among nursing home residents: a preliminary study

Abstract

PurposeThis study examined the effects of a giant (4×3 m) exercising board game intervention on ambulatory physical activity (PA) and a broader array of physical and psychological outcomes among nursing home residents.Materials and methodsA quasi-experimental longitudinal study was carried out in two comparable nursing homes. Ten participants (aged 82.5±6.3 and comprising 6 women) meeting the inclusion criteria took part in the 1-month intervention in one nursing home, whereas 11 participants (aged 89.9±3.1 with 8 women) were assigned to the control group in the other nursing home. The giant exercising board game required participants to per-form strength, flexibility, balance and endurance activities. The assistance provided by an exercising specialist decreased gradually during the intervention in an autonomy-oriented approach based on the self-determination theory. The following were assessed at baseline, after the intervention and after a follow-up period of 3 months: PA (steps/day and energy expenditure/day with ActiGraph), cognitive status (mini mental state examination), quality of life (EuroQol 5-dimensions), motivation for PA (Behavioral Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire-2), gait and balance (Tinetti and Short Physical Performance Battery), functional mobility (timed up and go), and the muscular isometric strength of the lower limb muscles.Results and conclusionIn the intervention group, PA increased from 2,921 steps/day at baseline to 3,358 steps/day after the intervention (+14.9%, P=0.04) and 4,083 steps/day (+39.8%, P=0.03) after 3 months. Energy expenditure/day also increased after the intervention (+110 kcal/day, +6.3%, P=0.01) and after 3 months (+219 kcal/day, +12.3%, P=0.02). Quality of life (P<0.05), balance and gait (P<0.05), and strength of the ankle (P<0.05) were also improved after 3 months. Such improvements were not observed in the control group. The preliminary results are promising but further investigation is required to confirm and evaluate the long-term effectiveness of PA interventions in nursing homes.

The effectiveness of intervention with board games: a systematic review

“…An overview of the findings about the effects of board games and programs that use board games on other conditions is shown in Table 3 [7, 8, 34–36]. This category addressed the impacts of board games on physical activity, anxiety, ADHD symptoms, and the severity of Alzheimer’s Disease.…”

“…The “other studies” category in the present review included five studies that examined the effects of board games on physical activity, physical and psychological outcomes, ADHD symptoms, and the severity of Alzheimer’s Disease. Mouton et al [34] showed that a giant board game intervention for nursing home residents led to significant increases in ambulatory physical activity, daily energy output, quality of life, balance and gait, and ankle strength. The effect sizes in the present review of studies related to physical activity ranged from very small to medium.…”

COVID-19 Confinement In Portugal: Effects On The Household Routines Of Children Under 13

“…Studies have shown that playing AVGs over short periods of time is similar to light-to-moderate physical activities (Biddiss & Irwin, 2010;Wagener et al, 2012). Interventions using a giant exercising board game showed a signi cant increase in ambulatory PA among nursing home residents (Mouton et al, 2017), so maybe it can be effective in promoting PA among families.…”

<p>Investigating the effect of physical games on the memory and attention of the elderly in adult day-care centers in Babol and Amol</p>

“…It has been reported that costs or lack of money, insufficient awareness of the benefits of physical activities, distance from gyms, transportation restrictions and dependence on others for getting around, and lack of time are among the main factors keeping the elderly from taking part in physical activities; and that gaining health, maintaining and improving physical fitness, pleasure and joy, social interactions, and controlling stress are among the top motivators for the elderly to engage in physical activities 22. Mouton et al made use of games to improve motion and physical activities in the elderly, and they observed that the elderly would gradually engage in exercise sessions with more independence and enthusiasm 25. Thus, physical activities that are enjoyable and are performed in a group can act as an incentive to encourage the elderly to regularly participate in them.…”