Active video games have been promoted to help kids be more physically active. But a new study finds that having active video games in the home may not translate into more exercise.
The study published Monday in the journal Pediatrics, looked at video games among 78 children ages 9 to 12 with a body mass index between the 50th and the 99th percentile, a group considered at risk for adult obesity. The team of researchers introduced video games and consoles into homes that didn’t already have them. There was no mandate about how much time the kids had to play with the games, and other games could be played, simulating real life.
“We were interested in seeing what the effect of getting a new video game had on the physical activity of children in the home setting, under naturalistic circumstances,” said study author Dr. Tom Baranowski, a professor of pediatrics in the Children's Nutrition Research Center at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.
The kids were divided randomly to a study group where they were allowed to choose two active video games such as Wii Fit Plus over 13 weeks, or to a control group who chose two inactive videos such as Mario Kart Wii over 13 weeks.
Baranowski said letting the children chose their own games was important, and they were given an opportunity to select one at the start and then another new one after six weeks. “We wanted to be sure they were getting something they wanted and we weren't foisting one on them,” he said.
To measure physical activity, each participant wore an accelerometer, an electronic device attached to a belt at the waist that tracks movement. The belt could be taken off only when swimming or bathing, and the children kept a journal of when they removed it. The authors said compliance was high because the youngsters wanted to keep their Wii consoles. Activity was measured in both groups after the first, sixth, seventh and 12th weeks.
Results showed no difference in levels of physical activity between the two groups. Authors wrote, “None of the active video games had a narrative or story; wrapping an engaging narrative around the activity in active video games may motivate more intense and maintained [physical activity].”
“By week six, we thought physical activity would taper off, and that in the seventh week, when they got to chose a new, second video game, that there might be an increase in activity. We expected the active video games would have a modest gain across these periods. But we found there was no difference in the level of the activity between the treatment and control groups. What we detected at baseline, before playing active video games, was exactly the same in weeks one, six, seven and 12,” Baranowski said.
“It doesn’t appear that there’s any public health value to having active video games available in stores,” said Baranowski, in a news release. “Simply having those active video games available on the shelf or at home doesn’t automatically lead to increased levels of physical activity in children.” Previous studies have shown conflicting results. Some find they increase physical activity and at least one show no changes with active videogames.
The authors theorize that the children either didn't chose to play their active games at the same intensity level that occurred in the previous lab studies, or perhaps the children compensated by being less active at other times during the day.
“You'd think that the kids who are playing these games would be burning more calories, but I think the nature of the games is not the same as going out and interacting. It doesn't directly encourage kids to go out and exercise,” said Dr. Gary Small, a professor of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles. He has studied and written about the impact of technology on children and adults. “Wii Fit is not made to get kids to exercise, it's to sell games. Maybe they need to design the games differently, to really get kids to move more,” Small said.
Children's Hospital Colorado pediatrician Dr. Christina Suh, who has conducted research on physical activity in overweight and obese children, said it's not encouraging news in terms of using the fitness video games as a tool for tackling the increasing problem of childhood obesity.
“The take-home message is that on a population basis, it looks like using active video games is not an effective way of getting kids to be more active. In other words, if someone thinks of passing out Wii fitness consoles to kids in a public school district, for example, it probably wouldn't be effective in terms of its impact on public health,” Suh said.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends children get at least one hour of moderate to vigorous physical activity a day, like jump-roping, riding a bike and playing tag, she noted. “As a pediatrician, when you're prescribing physical activity for a kid to prevent them from becoming overweight, or as a treatment program for obesity, you have to really make that prescription individualized. The key is figuring out what's really fun for that child,” Suh said.
Kevin Short, who has studied exercise and video games at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma City, agreed. “The Wii could serve as a potential replacement for sedentary screen time,” like TV or other video games, he said. “If we could replace some of that time when they're just sitting still and not moving... with something active, that may provide some benefit,” Short wasn't involved in the new study. But, “just because you can play soccer on the Wii, doesn't mean you should stop playing it outside,” he said.
“It muddles the message pediatricians give to get outside. My feeling is if you're going to be physically active, it makes more sense to play tennis with a family member outdoors than on a video game inside. A tennis racquet and some balls would much cheaper than a video game console, too,” Suh said.
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