JMIR Serious Games最新文献

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.2196/52644.].

Background: Physical inactivity is a major public health issue among college students, often exacerbated by academic pressures and lifestyle shifts. Traditional exercise interventions often face challenges with adherence due to low motivation and engagement. Immersive virtual reality (VR)-based exercise interventions may address these barriers by providing interactive and motivating experiences, yet empirical evidence regarding their psychological and physiological benefits remains scarce.

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the effects of a 4-week immersive VR-based exercise intervention on psychological and physiological health outcomes in college students.

Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted involving 36 college students randomized into either a VR exercise group (n=17, 47%) or a no-intervention control group (n=19, 53%). Participants in the VR group engaged in immersive VR cycling sessions (two 60-minute sessions weekly) using the VirZoom VR system, while the control group continued their normal routines. Psychological outcomes were assessed during preintervention and postintervention assessments, including exercise motivation (Behavioral Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire-2), mood states (Brunel Mood Scale), and depressive symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory). Physiological outcomes assessed were cardiovascular fitness (3-Minute Step Test) and body composition (bioelectrical impedance analysis). We used a 2-way repeated measures ANOVA to analyze the effects of the intervention.

Results: Significant time×group interactions indicated enhanced intrinsic motivation (P=.02; η²=0.25); improved mood states with increased vigor (P=.01; η²=0.18); and decreased confusion (P=.01; η²=0.17), fatigue (P=.02; η²=0.16), and tension (P=.003; η²=0.24) in the VR group. Depressive symptoms were also significantly reduced (P=.03; η²=0.14). Physiological outcomes showed significant improvements in the VR group, including decreased body fat percentage (P<.001; η²=0.34) and enhanced cardiovascular fitness (P<.001; η²=0.47) compared to the control group.

Conclusions: This study indicated that a 4-week immersive VR-based exercise intervention may confer short-term psychological and physiological benefits among college students compared to the no-intervention control group under COVID-19 pandemic-related constraints. Future studies should adopt active control designs and be conducted in real-world settings, incorporating objectively determined intensity monitoring and follow-up to further investigate effectiveness and real-world scalability.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06902727; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06902727.

Background: Hong Kong faces a rapidly aging population, with many older adults not meeting recommended physical-activity levels and struggling to maintain long-term exercise adherence. Exergaming offers an accessible, technology-supported way to promote health conditions while providing immediate feedback and task variability among older adults.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of an 8-week competitive exergaming intervention on functional fitness, cognition, loneliness, physical activity (PA) enjoyment, and quality of life among community-dwelling older adults in Hong Kong.

Methods: We conducted a pragmatic, nonrandomized, 2-group pilot with community participants allocated to either a competitive exergaming group (EG) or a passive control group (CG). EG attended 16 instructor-led 90-minute sessions playing Fitness Boxing (Nintendo Switch), including head-to-head bouts and a bracketed tournament. Outcomes were assessed at baseline and postintervention. Primary analyses used repeated-measure analysis of covariance (time: pre and post; group: EG and CG) adjusted for age, sex, education, marital status, employment, financial status, and housing. Partial η² was used to quantify effect sizes. Given the pilot nature, P values are unadjusted for multiplicity and interpreted cautiously.

Results: A total of 48 older adults completed assessments (EG: n=24; mean age 69.50, SD 4.77 years; CG: n=24; mean age 71.50, SD 6.74 years). Significant group × time interactions favored EG for lower-body strength (30-second chair stand: F_{1, 48}=12.39; P<.001; partial η²=0.22), aerobic endurance (2-minute step: F_{1, 48}=4.89; P=.03; η²=0.10), and PA enjoyment (Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale: F_{1, 48}=9.36; P<.001; η²=0.18). For the Number Comparison Test (processing speed), the group × time interaction was not significant (P=.08); however, an exploratory main effect of group indicated higher performance in EG across time (P=.04). Executive function (Trail Making Test parts A and B), loneliness, and Short Form-36 Health Survey subscales showed no significant effects.

Conclusions: Competitive exergaming was feasible and produced small to moderate improvements in lower-body strength, aerobic endurance, and enjoyment of PA. Cognitive effects were inconclusive and should not be overinterpreted given the nonrandomized design, passive control, small sample, and multiple outcomes. Future randomized trials with active comparators and longer duration are warranted.

Background: Exergames have emerged as effective interventions for promoting physical activity and preventing type 2 diabetes (T2D). Kinect-based exergames have demonstrated improvements in exercise adherence and health outcomes, but their high cost and reliance on specialized hardware hinder widespread home-based adoption. Recent advances in computer vision now enable monocular camera-based systems, offering a potentially cost-effective and scalable alternative for promoting physical activity at home.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and user experience of monocular camera-based exergames as a home-based intervention for individuals at risk for T2D.

Methods: Forty-five community-dwelling individuals at high risk for T2D (mean age 47.12, SD 6.92 years) were recruited and randomized into three groups (n=15 each): (1) control group (traditional offline exercise), (2) Kinect group (Kinect-based exergame), and (3) monocular group (monocular camera-based exergame). Participants engaged in a 10-minute intervention once per week for 7 weeks. Data were collected at 3 time points: baseline (exercise performance: heart rate and perceived fatigue), postintervention (exercise performance and user experience, including game experience and intrinsic motivation), and follow-up (user engagement and qualitative feedback). One-way ANOVA was used for data analysis.

Results: Exercise performance was comparable across all groups, with no significant differences in heart rate (P=.76) or fatigue levels (P=.25). However, participants in the monocular group reported significantly lower fatigue than those in the control group (P=.04). Intrinsic motivation was significantly higher in both the Kinect (mean 35.13, SD 3.20) and monocular (mean 34.00, SD 4.41) groups than in the control group (mean 26.06, SD 1.87; P<.001), with no significant difference between the 2 exergame groups (P=.44). While most user experience measures showed no significant differences, the monocular group reported a higher perceived challenge (mean 3.45, SD 0.51) than the Kinect group (mean 2.96, SD 0.39; P=.09). Additionally, the monocular group exhibited higher engagement, as evidenced by more frequent use, fewer challenges, and a greater intention to continue using the system.

Conclusions: Monocular camera-based exergame is a feasible and effective solution for promoting physical activity in individuals at risk for T2D. It offers motivational and experiential benefits similar to Kinect-based systems but requires less costly and more accessible equipment. These findings suggest that monocular systems have strong potential as scalable tools for home-based chronic disease prevention.

Unlabelled: Health care professionals emphasized that while exergaming holds promise as a motivational approach to supporting physical activity among patients with heart failure, its success depends on thoughtful integration into existing care pathways, personalization to patient needs, and addressing technological barriers.