JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

In a world where children are increasingly sedentary, the need for innovative solutions to promote physical activity is felt more than ever. Exergames –interactive video games combining physical activity with gaming – are an attractive way to engage children in exercise while having fun. Although exergames have demonstrated several benefits for the health and physical activity of children and young people, the impact of these devices is poorly explored especially in the school context.

Objective:

This systematic review was aimed at analyzing the effects of exergames on motor skills, psychological well-being, and cognitive abilities in children and adolescents during physical education hours and play-based activities. Our specific goal was to explore the effects of exergames in school programs and their potential to improve physical and mental health in educational settings.

Methods:

We carried out our review in accordance with PRISMA guidelines for systematic reviews and meta-analyses. We searched three bibliographic databases from 2019 to June 2024 and included all scientific studies involving children and adolescents interacting with exergames during physical education lessons at school.

Results:

Our database search produced 1,693 articles. After performing three levels of screening (title, abstract and full text), 24 articles were left. The majority of the studies confirmed that use of exergames during physical education and playful sport activities is associated with a number of improvements. More specifically, these devices can provide motor benefits as well as psychological or cognitive benefits, such as cognitive flexibility and attentional functions, overall well-being, greater sense of self-efficacy, self-confidence and mood.

Conclusions:

These results may have significant implications for public health or education: exergames may become accessible and useful devices for promoting physical activity in young people, potentially benefiting motor skills but also psychological and cognitive functions, increasing children's participation in physical activities and leading to a general improvement in their sense of self-efficacy and well-being. Exergames can improve children's physical and cognitive skills, thus becoming a complementary and additional device to traditional physical education exercises and helpful tools to increase physical movement in extracurricular activities.