The Effects of Active Video Games on Health-Related Physical Fitness and Motor Competence in Children and Adolescents with Healthy Weight: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Cristina Comeras-Chueca, Jorge Marin-Puyalto, Angel Matute-Llorente, German Vicente-Rodriguez, Jose A. Casajus and Alex Gonzalez-Aguero
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Cristina Comeras-Chueca: Department of Physiatry and Nursing, Faculty of Health Science, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
Jorge Marin-Puyalto: GENUD (Growth, Exercise, Nutrition and Development) Research Group, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
Angel Matute-Llorente: GENUD (Growth, Exercise, Nutrition and Development) Research Group, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
German Vicente-Rodriguez: GENUD (Growth, Exercise, Nutrition and Development) Research Group, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
Jose A. Casajus: Department of Physiatry and Nursing, Faculty of Health Science, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
Alex Gonzalez-Aguero: GENUD (Growth, Exercise, Nutrition and Development) Research Group, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 13, 1-23

Abstract: (1) Background: Poor levels of physical fitness and motor skills are problems for today’s children. Active video games (AVG) could be an attractive strategy to help address them. The aim was to investigate the effects of AVG on health-related physical fitness and motor competence in children and adolescents with healthy weight. (2) Methods: Randomized and non-randomized controlled trials investigating the effects of AVG programs on health-related physical fitness and motor competence were included. Two different quality assessment tools were used to measure the risk of bias. Twenty articles met the inclusion criteria and the variables of interest were body mass index (BMI), body fat, cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), muscular fitness and motor competence. (3) Results: AVG interventions seem to have benefits in BMI when lasting longer than 18 weeks (SMD, ?0.590; 95% IC, ?1.071, ?0.108) and in CRF (SMD, 0.438; 95% IC, 0.022, 0.855). AVG seems to be a promising tool to improve muscular fitness and motor competence but the effects are still unclear due to the lack of evidence. (4) Conclusions: AVG seem to be an effective tool for improving some components of health-related physical fitness and motor competence in healthy-weight children and adolescents, but the effect on some fitness components needs further research. Therefore, AVG may be included as a strategy to improve health.

Keywords: exergames; fitness; motor competence; youth; Pediatric Inactivity Triad (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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