Improving the Health of Emerging Adult Gamers—A Scoping Review of Influences

Abstract

Emerging adults (EAs), defined as adults aged 18 to 25, remain a difficult group to engage in healthy behaviours (including positive dieting and eating patterns). The environmental elements that influence the health behaviours of EAs have been studied. However, the literature is mixed on how online game environments, including eSports and game streaming, can be used to positively engage EAs. In this scoping review, we identified and analysed research on online games, EAs, and dietary patterns to create a behavioural ecological map of influences that intersect with EAs through online games. In total, 75 studies were found, identifying 23 influences that intersect with EAs through their online game use. ESports organisations, eSports athletes, and content creators may be areas of future research (and intervention) as these factors could positively influence the dietary behaviours of EAs (through online games).

The eSports Medicine: Pre-Participation Screening and Injuries Management—An Update

“…Some recent and growing papers examined the influence of eSports experience on human development, showing a promising positive relationship between eSports and neural plasticity [ 61 , 62 ]. Moreover, the high degree of participation, the controlled environment, the organized skill ratings, the social nature, and the large amount of data, make the eSport a valid field for neurocognitive research [ 47 ].…”

Social Marketing and the Sustainable Development Goals: Scoping Review (2013–2021)

“…To find relevant literature, the authors used both Clarivate Analytics’ Web of Science (WoS) and Elsevier’s Scopus (Scopus), as these databases are commonly used for general scientific literature (Kumpulainen & Seppänen, 2022 ). Web of Science was used in most systematic literature reviews in the field of social marketing (for example Almosa et al, 2017 ; Dietrich et al, 2022 ; Kim et al, 2019 ; Kubacki et al, 2017 ; Truong, 2014 ) and in scoping reviews on public health-related issues (Micallef et al, 2022 ; Williamson et al, 2020 ). However, the authors chose to combine Web of Science with Scopus, as Scopus has a stronger presence in the social sciences (Mongeon & Paul-Hus, 2016 ).…”

Are Esports Players Inactive? A Systematic Review

“…However, researchers suggest that esports may lead individuals to adopt a healthier lifestyle themselves or act as a lever for authorities to promote this healthy lifestyle (Chan et al, 2022;Ketelhut et al, 2021;Micallef et al, 2022;Polman et al, 2018;Schary et al, 2022). For example, some hypothesize that participation in certain esports (e.g., sports simulations) could motivate players to engage in real PA (Adachy & Willoughby, 2015;Jenny & Schary, 2014).…”

“…Thus, these other reviews confirm the relevance of our own research work. Micallef et al (2022) conducted another scoping review, identifying 23 health behavior influences in online gaming among emerging adults. These influences included family, virtual peers, characters, guild, console manufacturer or brands, esports events, esports organizations, and esports athletes.…”

“…While some studies have investigated the influence of exergames (Chan et al, 2019;Li & Lwin, 2016;Navarro et al, 2020), augmented reality games such as Pokémon Go (Koivisto et al, 2019;Wong, 2017), or sports simulation games (Adachi & Willoughby, 2015) on PA, we found no studies providing data on the influence of esports on PA. However, several studies have suggested that playing esports can potentially lead to an increased awareness of the importance of PA or be a relevant medium for promoting PA among a young population (Chan et al, 2022;Ketelhut et al, 2021;Micallef et al, 2022;Polman et al, 2018;Schary et al, 2022). There are several reasons why a player might want to exercise: to improve in-game performance, to improve their physical appearance, to reduce or prevent injury and be healthy, or to improve mental toughness.…”