Title
Feasibility of an active game program in a Dutch pre-vocational high school setting
Author
Simons, M.
Opdam, L.
van Empelen, P.
Publication year
2013
Abstract
Objective: This study examined the use of an active gaming program in a pre-vocational school over a 1-year period. Subjects and Methods: Three hundred students (mean age, 13.3 years; range, 12–18 years) were invited to participate and exposed to the active game program called E-sportszone, in which they could participate during the school day and after school. Attendance to E-sportszone was assessed by objectively monitoring over a 1-year period and self-report. Questionnaires about E-sportszone attendance, physical activity (PA), and sedentary behavior and underlying psychosocial determinants were administered at baseline and after 1 year. Results: Forty-two percent of the students attended the E-sportszone at least once. Attendance over the year varied from 1 day through 114 days (median, 3 days) with a peak during the E-sportszone marathon that was organized. Multivariate analysis showed boys used the E-sportszone more than girls (odds ratio [OR] 2.8) and older students were less likely to be users than younger students (OR 0.4). Furthermore, students who had a more positive attitude toward PA (OR 1.5) or who had higher scores on intention to use the E-sportszone (OR 1.5) were more likely to engage in active gaming than those who had lower scores. Conclusions: A substantial group of at-risk students (i.e., high body mass index, low PA, and high level of sedentary behavior) used the E-sportszone at least once. However, frequency of usage was low, resulting in limited contribution to PA behavior. Long-term use was challenging, and future studies should focus on strategies to encourage continued use of active games in this type of pre-vocational school setting.
Subject
Human
LS - Life Style
BSS - Behavioural and Societal Sciences
Healthy for Life
Health
Healthy Living
Gaming
Activity
Physical
Children
To reference this document use:
http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:8f2c4ddd-5f3d-4d37-aa46-cd2e7e317de9
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1089/g4h.2013.0047
TNO identifier
484791
Source
Games for health journal, 2 (6), 332-340
Document type
article