Promoting Physical Activity in Japanese Older Adults Using a Social Pervasive Game: Randomized Controlled Trial (Preprint) (original) (raw)
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Journal of Rehabilitation and Assistive Technologies Engineering, 2019
Introduction Promoting active lifestyles among older adults can bring drastic benefits for their quality of life. The innovative mechanics of pervasive games – that mix real and virtual worlds – can further engage and motivate elderly people into that goal. Using social interaction as a study case, we designed and evaluated the feasibility of a pervasive game to investigate how game design elements can affect the levels of physical activity of older adults. Methods A mobile, location-based pervasive game was developed, and a study with community dwelling elderly volunteers from Kyoto, Japan was performed to evaluate its feasibility as an experiment system. Results Participants reported that the theme and visual style of the game was adequate, and that game rules and goals could be easily understood. The game was considered enjoyably challenging and engaging. Further analysis showed that next iterations of the system must pay special attention to the level of complexity of controls, ...
JMIR serious games, 2019
Background: The novel genre of pervasive games, which aim to create more fun and engaging experiences by promoting deeper immersion, could be a powerful strategy to stimulate physical activity among older adults. To use these games more effectively, it is necessary to understand how different design elements affect player behavior. Objective: The aim was to vary a specific design element of pervasive games for older adults, namely social interaction, to test the effect on levels of physical activity. Methods: Over 4 weeks, two variations of the same pervasive game were compared: social interaction for the test group and no social interaction for the control group. In both versions, players had to walk to physical locations and collect virtual cards, but the social interaction version allowed people to collaborate to obtain more cards. Weekly step counts were used to evaluate the effect on each group, and the number of places visited was used as an indicator of play activity. Results: A total of 32 participants were recruited (no social interaction=15, social interaction=17); 18 remained until the end of the study (no social interaction=7, social interaction=11). Step counts during the first week were used as the baseline (no social interaction: mean 17,099.4, SE 3906.5; social interaction: mean 17,981.9, SE 2171.1). For the following weeks, changes to individual baseline were as follows for no social interaction (absolute/proportional): 383.8 (SE 563.8)/1.1% (SE 4.3%), 435.9 (SE 574.5)/2.2% (SE 4.6%), and −106.1 (SE 979.9)/−2.6% (SE 8.1%) for weeks 2, 3, and 4, respectively. For social interaction they were 3841.9 (SE 1425.4)/21.7% (SE 5.1%), 2270.6 (SE 947.1)/16.5% (SE 4.4%), and 2443.4 (SE 982.6)/17.9% (SE 4.7%) for weeks 2, 3, and 4, respectively. Analysis of group effect was significant (absolute change: η 2 =.19, P=.01; proportional change: η 2 =.27, P=.009). Correlation between the proportional change and the play activity was significant (r=.34, 95% CI 0.08 to 0.56), whereas for absolute change it was not.
Video Game’s design Implications to promote moderate activity in seniors
Avances en Interacción Humano-Computadora, 2020
Researchers and different efforts have identified several social, health, financial challenges, among others, with ageing population. Regarding health challenges, the World Health Organization encourages physical activation programs to promote healthy ageing. These programs aim to alleviate imminent musculoskeletal deterioration, or injuries that may occur. Severely increased deteriorations may affect older adults’ movement patterns, affecting their autonomy, control, or force. The only way to reduce this deterioration is through physical activation. Therefore, medical gerontology considers physical activity as one of the best tools to improve health and prevent many diseases. Within HCI, research has evaluated exergames as an alternative to engage older adults in physical activation. Exergames have become the technological focus of physical activity, stimulating physical activity through play and competition. However, it is unclear how to maximize these benefits. In this paper we p...
2020
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), population ageing is a global phenomenon, which brings both challenges and opportunities for society. The current longer expected lifespan can create opportunities for the elderly to contribute in many ways to their families and communities. However, it greatly depends on their quality of life, which is affected by many factors, including physical and functional health, social well-being, and cognitive abilities. The WHO (2012) states that physical health is one of the indicators for the elderly's quality of life, and it declines with increasing age. Participation in regular physical exercises can help the elderly improve their physical and mental health, and this has been aided by the use of modern technologies to promote the elderly's physical and functional health. Of these latest technologies, digital games have shown promise to improve and enhance the elderly's physical activities through fun and engaging gameplay. The literature highlights that some commercial games in the market (e.g. Microsoft Kinect-Sports and Nintendo Wii Sports games) have the potential to improve the elderly's physical health such as gait, balance, and fall prevention. However, researchers argue that these commercial games are not designed specifically for the elderly and their physical exercise activities. They state that most commercial games are not user-friendly for the elderly whose functional and physical abilities are limited due to their advanced years. The literature points out that more studies need to be undertaken to understand the usability and usefulness of digital games for physical exercise activities so that game designers can create elderly-friendly digital games in the future. In Finland, the government has been focusing on promoting healthy ageing and increasing home care services for the elderly. In recent years, Finnish researchers have used digital games to promote older Finns' healthy and active ageing. The existing literature, whilst showing the potential of digital games for elderly Finns' physical health, also acknowledges further research is needed particularly in the context of Finland. Thus, in this study, we aimed at investigating digital games to specifically assess their applications for older Finns' physical activities, focusing on the quality of users' experiences, and their reported ease of use and perceived usefulness. We used the mixed methods approach, which applies both qualitative and quantitative research methods. The study design included four stages: requirements gathering, analysis and design, prototyping, and evaluation. Firstly, we conducted pre-studies to elicit users' requirements. This was followed by the analysis of the resulting data to identify trends and patterns, which fuelled ideas in the brainstorming game design and development v phases. The final product was a digital game-based physical exercise called the Skiing Game. We then evaluated the Skiing Game in Finland with 21 elderly Finns (M=7, F=14, Average Age =76). By using questionnaires, observation, and interviews, we investigated user experiences, focusing on the game's usability, and usefulness for enhancing the physical activity and wellbeing of the elderly. We also conducted a comparative test of the Skiing Game in Japan with 24 elderly Japanese participants (M=12, F=12, Average Age = 72) to further understand non-Finnish elderly users' experiences. The findings from the usability study of the Skiing Game in Finland demonstrated that elderly Finns had a positive experience in the gameplay, and their motivation was noticeably high. It also confirmed that elderly Finns have a genuine interest in digital game-based exercises and strong intentions to play digital games as a form of physical exercise in the future. Although prior to the study most of them had negative views and misconceptions about digital games, after the gameplay their attitudes were decidedly positive. They acknowledged that whilst playing digital games could be an alternative way of exercising for them their use would primarily be when they don't have access to their usual non-digital physical exercise. The Japanese usability of the Skiing Game showed that the elderly Japanese people also had positive user experiences in playing digital games, and also intend to use them in the future. Similarly, after playing the game they reported that their attitudes towards digital games become positive, and indicated playing digital games could be an alternative way of exercising. Although the comparison of the two studies suggests that the elderly Finns had relatively more positive experiences whilst playing the Skiing Game, compared to their Japanese counterparts, in general, both groups had a positive experience in the gameplay and showed interest in digital games as an alternative exercise. Based on the usability lessons learned from these two studies, recommendations for practitioners and designers regarding improvements in game design and development are made in this report. Implementing these modifications into future designs and further development of digital games for the elderly will improve their commercial viability and user uptake. The findings from this study can provide valuable insights, particularly for Finnish policymakers and healthcare practitioners who are keen to introduce digital games into the aged-care sector in Finland. The studies have also provided valuable insights into the optimal methods for introducing Finnish digital games to international markets, in particular, digital games tailored specifically for the physical exercise needs and motivations of the elderly. By taking into consideration the limitations of the study, we provide our future studies and further improvements of the game to be conducted. vi
Persuading older adults to socialize and exercise through ambient games
Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Pervasive Computing Technologies for Healthcare, 2012
Families are increasingly using Social Networking Sites (SNS) to keep in touch. Building upon our prior work and using the results from 6 participatory design sessions, we present the design of two ubiquitous exergames: GuessMyCaption and TakeAPhoto. These games use family memoirs available in SNS and natural interfaces to encourage older adults to exercise. We further describe the implementation of GuessMyCaption and the results of a 5-weeks deployment study with one older adult and 12 relatives. The system maintained the older adult engaged with her exercises while offering new opportunities for online and offline social encounters. We close discussing that the use of natural interfaces and family memorabilia facilitated the adoption of the game and catalyzed family social encounters.
Exergames For Elderly: Social exergames to persuade seniors to increase physical activity
Proceedings of the 5th International ICST Conference on Pervasive Computing Technologies for Healthcare, 2011
Games with remote controls and motion sensors that require the players to move, so-called exergames, have become very popular. Many of these games are also being played by the senior population. Participating in regular training sessions outside their homes can be challenging for elderly, and it is hard to motivate oneself to exercise regularly alone at home. Regular physical activity is important both for the physical and psychological health and it is an integral part of many rehabilitation therapies. In addition, many elderly suffer from loneliness, making social interaction within exergames very important. In this paper we provide a narrative review of how exergames can help to motivate elderly to exercise more, focusing in possible social interactions in online exergaming and persuasive technologies. Finally, we discuss how social exergaming can be used both to prevent loneliness and encourage physical activity.
Feasibility and Enjoyment of Exercise Video Games in Older Adults
Frontiers in Public Health, 2021
Introduction: Several interventions have been developed to enhance social connectedness among older adults. However, little research has demonstrated their performance in a social distancing environment. Exergames are not only beneficial to older adults' physical and cognitive health, but they also allow players to interact with each other at a distance, which can reduce loneliness and increase social connection. The aim of this pilot study was to investigate older adults' perceptions of two commercially available exergames.Methods: Twenty healthy community-dwelling older adults (M age = 73.30, SD = 5.95, range = 65–84 years, 80% women) were recruited in this pilot study between July 2019 and February 2020. They were asked to play two exergames for 10 min each on the Xbox One with Kinect console: Just Dance and Kinect Sports Rivals. After gameplay, they provided both quantitative and qualitative feedback on these games.Results: Participants reported an average rating for exe...
2014
In the last 30 years, technological advances have altered occupational and recreational activities that have resulted in decreased daily physical activity. The resultant increase in physical inactivity and sedentary behaviour has been reported to be an independent risk factor for a number of chronic diseases. Any modality or strategy that results in increased physical activity levels and energy expenditure merits further investigation. Aim: to determine if active video games promote health enhancing physical activity in an asymptomatic adult population (18- 45 years of age). A secondary aim of the thesis is to examine affect states and psychological states associated with the use of active video games in an adult population since these factors are likely to have an effect on medium and long term adherence rates. Three studies were carried out to answer the research questions. Methods: Study 1 assessed the physiological responses to a sedentary video game, an active video game (Ninte...
Designing for spectators and coaches: Social support in pervasive health games for youth
2013 7th International Conference on Pervasive Computing Technologies For Healthcare and Workshops, 2013
ABSTRACT Active video games and other technology-based interventions can promote physical activity participation in children and adolescents, particularly those who are uninterested in traditional sports or lack access to gyms, sports clubs, or safe neighborhood recreational environments. Yet simply placing a game console in a home or school might not be sufficient for changing physical activity behaviors. Rather, social support and opportunities for structured group activity may be important aspects of pervasive health games. We know little, however, about how to design active video games and other technology-based interventions in ways that explicitly allow for the provision of social support by other players as well as "spectators" of the game. Based on the results of a longitudinal study of an active video game used in American schools, this paper contributes design recommendations for features in pervasive health games that explicitly encourage social support.
Physical Activity Motivating Games
ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction, 2012
ABSTRACT People’s daily lives have become increasingly sedentary, with extended periods of time being spent in front of a host of electronic screens for learning, work, and entertainment. We present research into the use of an adaptive persuasive technology, which introduces bursts of physical activity into a traditionally sedentary activity: computer game playing. Our game design approach leverages the playfulness and addictive nature of computer games to motivate players to engage in mild physical activity. The design allows players to gain virtual in-game rewards in return for performing real physical activity captured by sensory devices. This article presents a two-stage analysis of the activity-motivating game design approach applied to a prototype game. Initially, we detail the overall acceptance of active games discovered when trialing the technology with 135 young players. Results showed that players performed more activity without negatively affecting their perceived enjoyment of the playing experience. The analysis did discover, however, a lack of balance between the amounts of physical activity carried out by players with various gaming skills, which prompted a subsequent investigation into adaptive techniques for balancing the amount of physical activity performed by players. An evaluation of additional 90 players showed that adaptive techniques successfully overcame the gaming skills dependence and achieved more balanced activity levels. Overall, this work positions activity-motivating games as an approach that can potentially change the way players interact with computer games and lead to healthier lifestyles.