Dataset Information

Role of video games in improving health-related outcomes: a systematic review.

ABSTRACT:

Context

Video games represent a multibillion-dollar industry in the U.S. Although video gaming has been associated with many negative health consequences, it also may be useful for therapeutic purposes. The goal of this study was to determine whether video games may be useful in improving health outcomes.

Evidence acquisition

Literature searches were performed in February 2010 in six databases: the Center on Media and Child Health Database of Research, MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. Reference lists were hand-searched to identify additional studies. Only RCTs that tested the effect of video games on a positive, clinically relevant health consequence were included. Study selection criteria were strictly defined and applied by two researchers working independently. Study background information (e.g., location, funding source); sample data (e.g., number of study participants, demographics); intervention and control details; outcomes data; and quality measures were abstracted independently by two researchers.

Evidence synthesis

Of 1452 articles retrieved using the current search strategy, 38 met all criteria for inclusion. Eligible studies used video games to provide physical therapy, psychological therapy, improved disease self-management, health education, distraction from discomfort, increased physical activity, and skills training for clinicians. Among the 38 studies, a total of 195 health outcomes were examined. Video games improved 69% of psychological therapy outcomes, 59% of physical therapy outcomes, 50% of physical activity outcomes, 46% of clinician skills outcomes, 42% of health education outcomes, 42% of pain distraction outcomes, and 37% of disease self-management outcomes. Study quality was generally poor; for example, two thirds (66%) of studies had follow-up periods of <12 weeks, and only 11% of studies blinded researchers.

Conclusions

There is potential promise for video games to improve health outcomes, particularly in the areas of psychological therapy and physical therapy. RCTs with appropriate rigor will help build evidence in this emerging area.

SUBMITTER: Primack BA

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3391574 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Role of video games in improving health-related outcomes: a systematic review.

Primack Brian A BA Carroll Mary V MV McNamara Megan M Klem Mary Lou ML King Brandy B Rich Michael M Chan Chun W CW Nayak Smita S

American journal of preventive medicine 20120601 6

<h4>Context</h4>Video games represent a multibillion-dollar industry in the U.S. Although video gaming has been associated with many negative health consequences, it also may be useful for therapeutic purposes. The goal of this study was to determine whether video games may be useful in improving health outcomes.<h4>Evidence acquisition</h4>Literature searches were performed in February 2010 in six databases: the Center on Media and Child Health Database of Research, MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, E ...[more]

PMID: 22608382

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Project description:BackgroundEating disorders and other forms of disordered eating cause significant complications and comorbidities in patients. However, full remission with current standard treatment remains low. Challenges to treatment include underdiagnosis and high dropout rates, as well as difficulties in addressing underlying emotion dysregulation, poor impulse control, and personality traits. Serious video games (SVGs), which have the advantages of being highly engaging and accessible, may be potential tools for delivering various forms of treatment in addressing the underlying psychopathology of disordered eating.ObjectiveThis review aims to provide an overview of the possible mechanisms by which SVGs may affect the clinical course of disordered eating, while evaluating the outcomes of studies that have assessed the role of SVGs in the treatment of disordered eating.MethodsA systematic search was performed on PubMed, PsycINFO, and Embase, using keywords related to SVGs, disordered eating, and eating disorders. A narrative synthesis was subsequently carried out.ResultsIn total, 2151 papers were identified, of which 11 (0.51%) were included. Of these 11 studies, 10 (91%) were randomized controlled trials, and 1 (9%) was a quasi-experimental study. The types of SVG interventions varied across the studies and targeted different mechanisms of disordered eating, ranging from addressing problem-solving and emotion regulation skills to neurocognitive training for inhibitory control. Most (10/11, 91%) of the studies showed some benefit of the SVGs in improving certain physical, behavioral, or psychological outcomes related to disordered eating. Some (4/11, 36%) of the studies also showed encouraging evidence of the retention of these benefits at follow-up.ConclusionsThe studies included in this review provide collective evidence to suggest the various roles SVGs can play in plugging potential gaps in conventional therapy. Nonetheless, challenges exist in designing these games to prevent potential pitfalls, such as excessive stress arising from the SVGs themselves or potential gaming addiction. Further studies will also be required to assess the long-term benefits of SVGs as well as explore their potential preventive, and not just curative, effects on disordered eating.

Project description:BACKGROUND:Extant evidence suggests that the proportion of adolescents suffering from anxiety disorders (ADs) has increased by up to 70% since the mid-1980s, with experience of anxiety at this stage associated with significant negative short- and long-term life outcomes. The existing therapeutic interventions (eg, cognitive behavioral therapy, CBT; attention bias modification, ABM) have proven to have clinically measurable benefits in reducing anxiety, but their efficacy is often compromised by social and practical barriers. The growing discrepancy between demand for, and access to, clinical interventions for anxiety has led to the development of a range of eHealth (health care practice supported by electronic processes and communication) and mHealth (versions of eHealth using mobile devices) interventions. One such protocol is therapeutic games, which aim to provide clinical frameworks in dynamic, adaptable, and personalized virtual environments. Although some evidence exists to suggest therapeutic games are associated with reductions in subjective anxiety and observed stress reactivity, there is currently, to our knowledge, no systematic review of the adherence to, and effectiveness of, therapeutic games for adolescent anxiety. OBJECTIVE:The aim of this review was to establish the effectiveness of therapeutic games in making clinically measurable reductions in anxiety symptoms in adolescent samples. METHODS:A systematic search of the existing academic literature published between 1990 and July 2017 was conducted using the databases Journal of Medical Internet Research, Journal Storage, Psychology Articles, Psychology Info, ScienceDIRECT, and Scopus. Records linked to empirical papers on therapeutic games for anxiety using adolescent samples were evaluated. RESULTS:A total of 5 studies (N=410 participants) met the inclusion criteria, and 3 gamified anxiety interventions for adolescents were identified. The papers included a mixture of randomized controlled trials, quasi-experimental studies, and usability studies comprising quantitative and qualitative measures, with varying degrees of mixed methods. Extant evidence shows potential for therapeutic games to create clinically measurable reductions in symptoms of anxiety in adolescent samples, though findings are complicated in some cases by a low sample size, and in other cases by research design and methodological complications, including anxiety reductions in control groups caused by a control-game selection. CONCLUSIONS:Although research in this field appears to be extremely limited, as demonstrated by the small number of papers meeting the inclusion criteria for this review, early findings suggest that therapeutic games have potential in helping to engage adolescents with anxiety and lead to clinically measurable reductions in symptoms.

Project description:BackgroundPhysical activity (PA) is now considered an adjuvant therapy in cancer treatment; nevertheless, multiple barriers could reduce PA engagement during treatment. Active video games (AVGs) lead to the achievement of mild- to moderate-intensity PA and represent a promising tool for regular movement and exercise.ObjectiveThis paper aims to review the current literature and provide updated content on the physiological and psychological effects of AVG-based interventions in patients with cancer undergoing treatment.MethodsFour electronic databases were investigated. Studies reporting on AVG interventions delivered to patients undergoing treatment were included. A total of 21 articles (17 interventions) were identified for data extraction and quality assessment.ResultsA total of 362 patients with cancer participated in the studies (number of participants 3-70). The majority underwent treatment for breast, lung, prostate, hematologic, or oral or laryngeal cancer. The types and stages of cancer varied in all studies. Participants ranged in age from 3 to 93 years. Four studies included patients with pediatric cancer. The duration of interventions ranged from 2 to 16 weeks, with a minimum of 2 sessions per week and a maximum of 1 daily session. Sessions were supervised in 10 studies, and 7 included home-based interventions. AVG interventions improved endurance, quality of life, cancer-related fatigue, and self-efficacy. Effects were mixed on strength, physical function, and depression. AVGs did not affect activity level, body composition, or anxiety. Compared with standard physiotherapy, physiological effects were lower or similar, and psychological effects were higher or similar.ConclusionsOverall, our results suggest that AVGs can be recommended to patients undergoing cancer treatment, given the physiological and psychological benefits. When AVGs are proposed, supervision of the sessions should be considered as it can limit dropouts. In the future, it is important to develop AVGs that combine endurance and muscle strengthening, with the possibility of achieving moderate to high exercise intensity, depending on the physical abilities of the patients, as indicated in the World Health Organization's recommendations.

Project description:BACKGROUND:Exercise and physical activity are key components of treatment for chronic respiratory diseases. However, the level of physical activity and adherence to exercise programs are low in people with these diseases. Active video games (AVGs) may provide a more engaging alternative to traditional forms of exercise. OBJECTIVE:This review examines the effectiveness of game-based interventions on physiological outcome measures, as well as adherence and enjoyment in subjects with chronic respiratory diseases. METHODS:A systematic search of the literature was conducted, with full texts and abstracts included where they involved an AVG intervention for participants diagnosed with respiratory conditions. A narrative synthesis of included studies was performed. Additionally, meta-analysis comparing AVGs with traditional exercise was undertaken for 4 outcome measures: mean heart rate (HR) during exercise, peripheral blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) during exercise, dyspnea induced by the exercise, and enjoyment of the exercise. RESULTS:A total of 13 full-text papers corresponding to 12 studies were included in the review. Interventions predominantly used games released for the Nintendo Wii (8 studies) and Microsoft Xbox Kinect (3 studies). There were 5 studies that examined the acute effects of a single session of AVGs and 7 studies that examined the long-term effects after multiple sessions of AVGs. Trials conducted over more than 1 session varied in duration between 3 and 12 weeks. In these, AVG interventions were associated with either similar or slightly greater improvements in outcomes such as exercise capacity when compared with a traditional exercise control, and they also generally demonstrated improvements over baseline or nonintervention comparators. There were a few studies of unsupervised AVG interventions, but the reported adherence was high and maintained throughout the intervention period. Additionally, AVGs were generally reported to be well liked and considered feasible by participants. For outcome measures measured during a single exercise session, there was no significant difference between an AVG and traditional exercise for HR (mean difference 1.44 beats per minute, 95% CI -14.31 to 17.18), SpO2 (mean difference 1.12 percentage points, 95% CI -1.91 to 4.16), and dyspnea (mean difference 0.43 Borg units, 95% CI -0.79 to 1.66), but AVGs were significantly more enjoyable than traditional exercise (Hedges g standardized mean difference 1.36, 95% CI 0.04-2.68). CONCLUSIONS:This review provides evidence that AVG interventions, undertaken for several weeks, can provide similar or greater improvements in exercise capacity and other outcomes as traditional exercise. Within a single session of cardiovascular exercise, an AVG can evoke similar physiological responses as traditional exercise modalities but is more enjoyable to subjects with chronic respiratory diseases. However, there is very limited evidence for adherence and effectiveness in long-term unsupervised trials, which should be the focus of future research.

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Dataset Information

Role of video games in improving health-related outcomes: a systematic review.

Context

Evidence acquisition

Evidence synthesis

Conclusions

Publications

Role of video games in improving health-related outcomes: a systematic review.

Similar Datasets

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