181 research outputs found

    Misrepresentation of health research in exertion games literature

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    HCI often requires scholars to build upon research from fields outside their expertise, creating the risk that foundational work is misunderstood and misrepresented. The prevailing goal of “exergames” research towards ameliorating obesity appears to be built on just such a misunderstanding of health research. In this paper, we analyse all citations to a single influential study, which has been extensively cited to justify research on exergames. We categorise the 375 citations based on whether they represent the findings of that study accurately or inaccurately. Our findings suggest that 69% of exergames papers citing this study misrepresent the findings, demonstrating a systematic failure of scholarship in exergames research. We argue that exergaming research should cease focusing on games as treatment for obesity, and that HCI publications should demand more critical and scholarly engagement with research from outside HCI

    Interventions for Childhood Obesity: Evaluating Technological Applications Targeting Physical Activity Level and Diet

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    Overweight and obese children have increased risks for multiple preventable diseases and conditions which can impair their physiological health and significantly increases the overall cost of their healthcare. Free mobile applications and technology for weight loss, dietary tracking, and physical activity may be quite useful for monitoring nutritional intake and exercise to facilitate weight loss. If so, nurses are well positioned to recommend such tools as part of their efforts to prevent childhood obesity and help children and parents better manage childhood obesity when it is present. However, there are no guidelines that nurses can use to determine what applications or technologies are most beneficial to children and their parents. The purpose of this project is to develop such guidelines based on a review of the scientific literature published in the last 5 years. Articles regarding healthy-lifestyle promoting mobile applications and technological approaches to health and fitness interventions were identified by searching articles indexed by CINAHL, Psychinfo, Medline, ERIC, IEEE Xplore, and Academic Search Premier. Identified articles were assessed using Melnyk’s hierarchy of evidence and organized into tables so that implications for research and suggestions for practice could be made

    Game Changer: Investing in Digital Play to Advance Children's Learning and Health

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    Based on a literature review and interviews with digital learning experts, explores how digital games can foster skills and knowledge for better academic performance and health. Makes recommendations for government research, partnerships, and media

    Rise Of Exergaming

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    AN ABSTRACT OF THE MASTERS PROJECT OFBADRINARAYANAN RAMAKRISHNAN, for the MASTER OF SCIENCE degreein MASS COMMUNICATION & MEDIA ARTS, presented on April 11, 2011 atSouthern Illinois University Carbondale.TITLE: THE RISE OF EXER-GAMINGMAJOR PROFESSOR: Dr. John HochheimerThis paper looks at childhood obesity in the United States ofAmerica, its causes, and various intervention methods as well as videogamesthat have been employed in the fight against obesity through the emergence ofphysically engaging games. While childhood obesity is spreading fast, its effectsare devastating. Illnesses and other conditions previously seen only in adults arenow occurring more frequently in children. Though the Center for DiseaseControl has made recommendations and tried to educate children about ahealthy diet and regular physical activity, obesity remains a threat to health.Though a combination of diet and physical activity are the recommendedintervention criteria, the importance of physical activity has been realized in manystudies. But, even here many studies only reached near significant changes intheir interventions due to adherence issues. Videogames games help in burningcalories and also in increasing physical activity levels in children, since thesegames engage players physically. Adherence issues are solved using the help of“exergames”, as they hide exercise behind a layer of fun. These exergames areseen as a genre of videogames rather than a novel way to play (i.e. aiireplacement of the traditional videogame controller) and need to expand fromonly one kind of videogame title

    A Review of the Relationship between Screen Time and Low Levels of Physical Activity with Obesity and Sedentary Behaviors in Children and Adolescents

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    INTRODUCTION: The prevalence of childhood obesity currently lies at 17% in the United States alone and continues to increase each year. Obesity generally is a result of an imbalance between energy intake and energy expenditure. The increase of childhood obesity prevalence may have adverse morbidity and mortality implications in adulthood, including increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, certain cancers, insulin resistance, and more. Multiple factors contribute to childhood obesity, including parental behaviors, socioeconomic factors, and media influence. Studies have shown that sedentary behaviors, such as watching television and playing video games, are a major contributor to obesity in children and adolescents. National guidelines recommend that children engage in a minimum of an hour of moderate physical activity every day, yet studies show they are not meeting these requirements. AIM: The aim of this Capstone project is to examine the relationship between screen time and low levels of physical activity with obesity and sedentary behaviors in children and adolescents. The aim is also to examine ways to leverage screen time as a strategy to increase physical activity levels, particularly through the use of active video games. METHODS: A review of relevant literature RESULTS: The findings of this Capstone project support the idea that high levels of sedentary activity and screen time are associated with weight gain and obesity in children and adolescents. Evidence was present that active video games can serve as a promising strategy to increasing physical activity levels among children and adolescents. Reducing sedentary behaviors must happen at the home, institution, and community level. DISCUSSION: The battle of childhood obesity has shown progress in recent years. Studies show that states are now showing progress in decreasing childhood obesity rates, particularly among low-income preschoolers aged 2 to 4 years. Evidence from the literature review shows that sedentary behaviors in adolescents are associated with negative health outcomes. The literature revealed that excessive television is linked to weight gain. Evidence suggests that targeting parents’ behavior is essential to reducing sedentary behaviors among adolescents. The literature review revealed that the use of active video games serves as a promising approach to reducing sedentary behaviors and increasing physical activity levels in children and adolescents

    Physical activity as an opportunity for social entrepreneurship in the prevention of obesity

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    La obesidad es un problema de salud mundial y es considerada una de las enfermedades no transmisibles más graves y prevalentes del siglo XXI. La prevención de la obesidad es un imperativo de salud pública. Perder peso puede requerir cambios de comportamiento difíciles, y por lo tanto la prevención de la obesidad es preferible a la intervención para revertir la obesidad. El emprendimiento social genera beneficios a partir de un modelo de negocio que persigue un fin social, creando un negocio que satisfaga las necesidades de la sociedad sin renunciar a las estrategias de mercado. El objetivo del presente artículo es analizar la actividad física como herramienta de emprendimiento social en la prevención de la obesidad, definiendo y revisando la amenaza que la obesidad representa para la sociedad, y ofreciendo algunos ejemplos de cómo se dirigen los emprendimientos sociales a través de la actividad física. El emprendimiento social se muestra como una posible herramienta para frenar la inactividad física y la obesidad, sin embargo, la efectividad de este debe ser estudiada con mayor profundidad.Obesity is a global health problem and is considered one of the most serious and prevalent non-communicable diseases of the 21st century. The prevention of obesity is a public health imperative. Losing weight may require difficult behavioral changes, and therefore the prevention of obesity is preferable to the intervention to reverse obesity. Social entrepreneurship generates benefits from a business model that pursues a social purpose, creating a business that meets the needs of society without renouncing market strategies. The objective of the present is to see the role of physical activity as a tool of social entrepreneurship in the prevention of obesity, defining and reviewing the threat that obesity represents to society, and offering some examples of how social enterprises are directed through of physical activity. Social entrepreneurship is shown as a possible tool to stop physical inactivity and obesity, however, the effectiveness of this must be studied in greater depth

    Contribution of Exergaming Behaviour to Physical Activity: Toward Better Understanding the Role of Motivation

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    Physical activity (PA) is associated with numerous health benefits. Because PA patterns established early in life track into adulthood, it is important that children develop and sustain healthy PA habits. Current guidelines recommend that youth accumulate ≥ 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous intensity PA daily, but many youth do not attain this level. Evaluation of public health interventions that aim to promote PA provide little evidence of sustained positive effects over time. This could relate, at least in part, to interventions lacking a strong conceptual foundation and, in particular, to a lack of underpinnings that recognize the central role of motivation in PA. It is important that effective strategies to increase and sustain healthy PA levels in youth are identified. The Self-Determination Theory is used to explain why people adopt and maintain healthy PA behaviors and posits that sustained PA relates to natural or intrinsic tendencies or motivations to behave in healthy and effective ways. Positive PA experiences in school, at home and in community settings may foster an internal desire or motivation to sustain PA participation simply for its challenges or for enjoyment. Lack of sustained PA among youth could reflect a scarcity of enjoyable PA options that fit with the sophisticated technetronic expectations of youth today. PA interventions must “keep up with the times,” by acknowledging young peoples’ prevailing interests and by incorporating advancements in technology that heighten interest and motivation for PA. Exergaming, a type of non-sedentary videogame that requires players to be physically active in order to attain a series of incrementally challenging goals, is increasingly viewed as an enjoyable PA option among today’s technology-immersed youth. However, although critical to informing the design, implementation and sustainability of exergaming interventions, evidence on exergaming-related motivation, preferences, intentions and sustainability is lacking. Research in this domain is needed to ascertain whether exergaming interventions can help youth become and remain physically active, and which facets of exergaming hold the most promise in sustaining positive PA change. More specifically, using “gamified augmented reality” such as exergaming could help youth attain recommended PA levels and promote sustainable healthy behaviour, while at the same time contributing to enjoyment of PA. The three studies described in this thesis examine motivation and exergaming in-depth using SDT and its tenants as a theoretical guide and a common theme across studies. Thus, the role of motivation and intentions in exergaming behaviour and how they contribute to PA in the general population of youth is a key contribution of this dissertation. Study 1, a review of reviews on exergaming, provides background for the next two studies, each of which was conducted in population-based (as opposed to clinical or experimental) settings. Twenty-five reviews spanning 2009 to 2016 were retained, each of which incorporated between 5 and 100 articles. A positive relationship between exergaming and energy expenditure (EE) was well-documented, but whether exergaming increases PA or changes body composition was not established. There is however, evidence that exergaming (i.e., as a non-sedentary use of screens) is a healthy alternative to sedentary behaviour, that it improves cognitive function, that it is an interesting and enjoyable pastime in youth, that it shows promise as a PA option by adding variety and alternative PA forms in health and dietary interventions and finally that it is likely more health-promoting than traditional videogames because of higher EE and possibly improved physical fitness, body composition and cognitive health. However, more research and specifically, longitudinal studies are needed to assess whether exergaming can be sustained to obtain these benefits over time. Study 2 identified correlates of sustained exergaming. We reported that almost 50% of grade 9 students sustained exergaming for 2-3 years. Study results suggest that in non-clinical settings, exergaming may be a practical approach to help adolescents maintain PA during adolescence. Study 3 examined the psychometric properties of a new scale to assess reasons for exergaming (i.e., the Reasons to Exergame (RTEX) scale). This study also examined whether and how the scale relates to the timing, intensity and duration of past-month exergaming. RTEX items were developed in consultation with PA and exergaming experts and using key exergaming constructs, including PA, general interest in videogames and enjoyment of exergaming. RTEX was found to be a reliable and valid assessment of reasons to exergame. However, further studies should replicate these initial findings in larger, more diverse samples

    A model for mobile exergame development to promote anti-sedentary behaviour

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    The term “exergame” is the combination word of exercise and videogames. Exergaming is playing exergames or any other video games to promote physical activity. Contemporary lifestyle has become increasingly sedentary: little physical (sports, exercises) and much sedentary (TV, computers) activity. The nature of sedentary activity is self-reinforcing, such that increasing physical and decreasing sedentary activity is difficult. As the growth of smartphones devices increased over the years, it becomes easier for an individual to play the exergame application in their mobile device anytime, anywhere. This research study mainly aims to promote anti-sedentary behaviour by using mobile exergame application. Therefore, a model has been proposed based on literature analysis on behaviour change models and survey experiment findings. The overall finding from the survey experiment suggest that by practising mobile exergame, an individual can expect a productive behaviour change which will motivate the user for a longer period of time. It also helps to identify the specific requirements of the prototype as well as contributes to the model development for this study. To evaluate the proposed model, a mobile exergame prototype called “FitUP” was developed as a proof of concept. Rapid Application Development (RAD) model was used as a guideline for the prototype development. In addition, a final survey was also conducted towards the end of this research study to gather the usability satisfaction data on the “FitUP” prototype which was developed for this research study

    Effects of a Gamified Educational Program in the Nutrition of Children with Obesity

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    [EN]Obesity is considered a global epidemic of the twenty-first century by the World Health Organization (WHO). Specifically, the Canary Islands has the highest level of this disease in Europe and 40% of children in Spain are overweight or obese. This increase is a direct result of changes in the lifestyles of the population and its nutrition. Because of this, we have designed an educational program based on motor games, active videogames and virtual learning environments to improve the long-term health of children. This article presents and analyzes the results of a study on the nutritional knowledge and adherence to the Mediterranean diet of 46 obese children aged 6 to 12 years in the Canary Islands who participated in an educational program. The study design was quasi-experimental, with two groups (experimental and control). A long-term longitudinal study (3 years) was carried out. A set of evaluation instruments was used for the different phases. The results show significant improvements between the experimental and control groups in terms of their knowledge of healthy nutrition and their adherence to the Mediterranean diet. As a main conclusion, we emphasize that a gamified educational intervention program supported by ICT helps to motivate and promote improvements in the nutrition of children
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