Effects of Active Video Games on Children’s Psychosocial Beliefs and School Day Energy Expenditure

Zan Gao,Zachary C Pope,Jung Eun Lee,Minghui Quan

doi:10.3390/jcm8091268

Abstract

Purpose: Examine the effects of active video games (AVGs) on children’s school-day energy expenditure (EE) and physical activity (PA)-related self-efficacy, social support, and outcome expectancy over 9 months. Method: Participants were 81 fourth grade students ( = 9.23 years, SD = 0.62; 39 girls) from two urban Minnesota elementary schools. A once-weekly 50 min AVG intervention was implemented in the intervention school for 9 months in 2014–2015 while the control school continued regular recess. Children’s school-day EE (daily caloric expenditure) and mean daily metabolic equivalent (MET) values were estimated via accelerometry whereas self-efficacy, social support, and outcome expectancy were assessed with psychometrically-validated questionnaires. All measures were completed at baseline and at the 4th and 9th months. Results: We observed significant interaction effects for daily caloric expenditure, F(1, 58) = 15.8, p < 0.01, mean daily MET values, F(1, 58) = 11.3, p < 0.01, and outcome expectancy, F(1, 58) = 4.5, p < 0.05. Specifically, intervention children had greater increases in daily caloric expenditure (91 kilocalorie/day post-intervention group difference), with control children decreasing daily caloric expenditure over time. We observed identical trends for mean daily MET values (0.35 METs/day post-intervention group difference). Interestingly, we observed outcome expectancy to increase in the control children, but decrease among intervention children, at post-intervention (1.35 group difference). Finally, we observed a marginally significant interaction effect for social support, F(1, 58) = 3.104, p = 0.08, with an increase and decrease seen in the intervention and control children, respectively. We observed no interaction or main effects for self-efficacy. Discussion: Observations suggested an AVG intervention contributed to longitudinal increases in school-day EE and social support compared to the control condition. Future research should examine how self-efficacy and outcome expectancy might be promoted during school-based AVG interventions.

Highlights

Pediatric obesity continues to be a substantial public health burden in the US [1]
To build upon previous studies’ limitations, this study investigated the effects of a 9 month school-based active video games (AVGs) intervention on the EE and psychosocial beliefs of children from low socioeconomic status (SES) families living in underserved urban areas
We examined if children in an underserved urban school included in an AVG intervention would demonstrate greater increases in EE and improvements in Social Cognitive Theory (SCT)-related psychosocial beliefs compared to a control group within a second underserved school over the course of one 9 month academic year

Summary

Introduction

The obesity epidemic and subsequent physiological and psychosocial wellbeing of low-income and ethnically diverse children have become concerning, partially due to the physical inactivity and sedentary behavior rates commonly observed in this population [2]. Children from underserved families of low socioeconomic status (SES) are more likely to be overweight and/or obese than children from middle- to upper-SES families [3]. As a result, these children are more likely to develop cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes, and other chronic diseases [4]. It is imperative to develop innovative technology-based interventions to promote PA participation and curb pediatric obesity among children of low SES living in underserved urban areas

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion