JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Sedentary behavior is highly prevalent among older adults, with adherence to exercise being a major challenge. Exercise offers significant physical, psychological, and social benefits, but enjoyment is a key factor influencing adherence. Technology-based interventions, have shown promise in enhancing motivation and participation, demonstrating higher adherence rates compared to conventional treatments, though challenges like motivation loss and technological barriers persist. This review evaluates active videogames interventions' effectiveness in enjoyment and satisfaction.

Objective:

This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to determine whether active video games are superior to other interventions in generating greater enjoyment or satisfaction.

Methods:

Pubmed, Cochrane, PEDro, SportDiscus, CINHAL, Web of Science and Scopus databases were searched from inception to October 2024 to identify randomized clinical trials (RCT) or crossover studies. The primary outcome was enjoyment or satisfaction, assessed using various scales, including the Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale (PACES), Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI), User Satisfaction Questionnaire, and Likert-type scoring scales. Secondary outcomes included adherence rates and adverse effects. Cochrane tool (v2.0) was used to evaluate risk of bias.

Results:

Five studies were included in the quantitative analysis. The results indicated a significant improvement in enjoyment/satisfaction compared to control groups (SMD: 0.34; 95% CI (0.05 to 0.64); p=0.02; I2=24%), although the size effect was small. Secondary outcomes could not be analyzed due to insufficient data in the selected studies.

Conclusions:

Active video game interventions may improve enjoyment and satisfaction in older adults, but the evidence remains of low certainty.