Comparison Between Dance-based Exergaming And Aerobic Dance On Young Adults’ Physiological And Psychological Outcomes

Abstract

PURPOSE: In order to better develop effective physical activity programs among young adults, this study explored the effects of a dance-based exergaming on Chinese college students’ energy expenditure, enjoyment, and self-efficacy in comparison with the traditional aerobic dance exercise. METHODS: A one-group repeated-measures design was used for this study. A total of 40 college students (33 females; Mage = 21.16 years, SD = 2.1) completed two separate 20-minutes exercise sessions with a 10-minute interval on the same day: (1) Xbox 360 Kinect Just Dance exergaming session; and (2) traditional instructor-led aerobic dance exercise session. Participants’ energy expenditure (kcal/day) was measured by the ActiGraph GT9X Link accelerometers, and their perceived enjoyment and self-efficacy were assessed via validated surveys following each session. The dependent t-test was used to examine the mean differences for all outcomes between two sessions, with the significance level set at 0.05. RESULTS: Dependent t-test indicated significant differences on participants’ enjoyment (t = -1.83, p = 0.04, Cohen’s d = 0.30). Specifically, participants in the dance-based exergaming session reported higher level of enjoyment (M = 3.96, SD = 0.65) as compared to aerobic dance session (M = 3.61, SD = 0.54). However, there was no significant difference for energy expenditure (M1 = 106.76 VS M2 = 104.14) and self-efficacy (M1 = 4.06 VS M2 = 3.95) between two sessions. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggested that, in dance-based exergaming play session, college students had comparable energy expenditure as the traditional aerobic dance session while experiencing more fun and enjoyment. This suggests that exergaming can be a fun exercise alternative for promoting physical activity among young adults. Future randomized control trials are needed to further conclude the effects of exergaming among this population.