Prevalence and Correlates of Exergaming in Youth

Abstract

WHAT'S KNOWN ON THIS SUBJECT: Exergaming offers a physical activity (PA) alternative for youth that may be attractive in our increasingly technophilic society. Exergaming increases PA and decreases sedentary time, but most exergame studies are clinically based and focus on measuring energy expenditure during exergaming. WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS:One-quarter of adolescents exergamed at intensity levels that could help them achieve PA recommendations. Exergamers were more likely to be female, play nonactive video games, watch $2 hours of television per day, be stressed about weight, and be nonsmokers. abstract OBJECTIVES: Less than 15% of children and adolescents participate regularly in physical activity (PA) and, with ever-increasing obesity, strategies to improve PA levels in youth are urgently needed. Exergaming offers a PA alternative that may be especially attractive in our increasingly technophilic society. However, there are no observational studies of exergaming in population-based samples of adolescents. The purpose of this study was to investigate potential sociodemographic, lifestyle, psychosocial, weight-related, and mental health correlates of exergaming as well as describe the type, timing, and intensity of exergaming in a population-based sample of adolescents. METHODS:Data on exergame use and potential sociodemographic, lifestyle, psychosocial, weight-related, and mental health correlates of exergaming were collected in mailed self-report questionnaires completed by 1241 grade 10 and 11 students from the Montreal area with a mean age of 16.8 years (SD = 0.05 years; 43% male) participating in the AdoQuest study. The independent correlates of exergaming were identified in multivariable logistic regression models. RESULTS:Nearly one-quarter (24%) of participants reported exergaming. Exergamers played 2 days per week on average, for ∼50 minutes each bout; 73% of exergamers played at a moderate or vigorous intensity. Exergamers were more likely than nonexergamers to be girls, to play nonactive video games, to watch $2 hours of television per day, to be stressed about weight, and to be nonsmokers. CONCLUSIONS:Many adolescents exergame at intensity levels that could help them achieve current moderate-to-vigorous PA recommendations. Interventions that encourage exergaming may increase PA and decrease sedentary behavior in select youth subgroups, notably in girls.

Real Life Active Gaming Practices of 7–11-Year-Old Children

“…The children had easy access to active gaming consoles and games at home, as do New Zealand children 17 and Canadian and Dutch adolescents. 14,15 As with the Canadian adolescents, the children preferred the Nintendo Wii™ console and Nintendo Wii™ Sports game compendium. 15 In previous laboratory-based investigations this particular console and game has increased children's energy expenditure (EE) by two to three times, when compared with resting and sedentary media activities.…”

“…The range of laboratory protocols utilised are unlikely to resemble children's real life active gaming activity especially when considering adolescent active game-play. In Canada, adolescents reported playing for 50.5 minutes per bout 14 whilst in The…”

“…Being of a younger age was found to be associated with more frequent active game-play in Dutch adolescents whilst in Canada, females were more likely to play these games than males. 14,15 Information such as this in the UK on which to successfully inform intervention studies however is lacking. There is also limited understanding of the reasons for children's active game-play, which might be dependent upon the study population.…”

Effectiveness of a Home-Based Active Video Game Programme in Young Cystic Fibrosis Patients

“…A recent review [25] confirms that engaging in a home exercise programme can result in improved PA participation among patients with CF. It has also been reported that many adolescents regularly play AVGs at intensity levels above global PA recommendations [26]. However, the relevant studies failed to verify the effects of using AVGs as a training protocol and to determine whether these effects are maintained after the intervention.…”

Active Gaming Among High School Students—United States, 2010

“…[17][18][19] A Canadian study reported that approximately 25 percent of 10th and 11th graders engaged in active gaming (based on responses to the question ''Do you play active videogames?'') and that active gamers were more likely to be girls, to also play nonactive videogames, to watch q2 hours of TV/day, and to be concerned about weight.…”