Estimating Energy Expenditure in Active Video Gaming Compared to Unstructured, Outdoor Play in Children
Condition: Motor Activity
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      The increasing use of sedentary screen-based activities (SBAs) has been most recently blamed
      for children and adolescents' lack of engagement in physical activity (PA). Studies indicate
      a large portion of children participate high-levels of sedentary SBAs and the sedentary SBAs
      appear to compete for time to engage in PA. If sedentary behavior is a substitute for PA, to
      help increase PA, strategies need to be put into place that helps to decrease sedentary
      behaviors.

      One modification to sedentary videogames that may increase PA in children is to alter
      sedentary videogames so that the videogames actually provide an option to engage in PA,
      rather than to be sedentary. These types of games then don't compete with PA, but actually
      are a source of PA. These types of videogames are called active video games (AVG) or
      "Exer-gaming." Previous research demonstrates that energy-expenditure (EE) in AVG play is
      comparable to moderate-intensity walking and produce greater EE than sedentary SBAs. However,
      previous studies have been limited to measuring EE in AVG play to walking either on a
      treadmill or in a structured setting. Studies have not investigated the EE of AVG play
      compared to the EE in free-living outdoor play. Thus, the purpose of the proposed study is to
      determine whether a greater EE is released during AVG play compared to free-living, outdoor
      play in children.
    

Detailed description: 
      Fifteen children, aged 5- to 8- years, attending a nearby preschool, with a normal body mass
      index (BMI)-for-age percentile between, > 5th % to < 85th %.BMI, will participate in
      unstructured, outdoor play and one AVGs in a randomized order. Activity type, duration and
      intensity will be measured via accelerometery and direct observation. The EE will be
      calculated from Metabolic Equivalent (MET) values and the percent of time each activity meets
      MVPA intensity will be calculated. A MET is the energy cost of the activity expressed as
      kilocalories expended per kilogram of body weight per hour of activity (7). If EE and
      intensity in AVG play is similar to EE and intensity in outdoor play, then AVG play could be
      a great supplement to efforts aimed at increasing PA in children.

      Specific Aims:

        1. To measure the EE acquired in 15 minutes during an AVG, an adventure game, as compared
           to unstructured outdoor play in children 5- to 8- years of age.

        2. To compare the percent of time each activity meets the definition of MVPA (MET value >3)
           in children aged 5- to 8-years of age.
    

Intervention name(s): Active vido games and outdoor play
Intervention type(s): Other
Intervention description(s): Fifteen children, aged 5- to 8- years, attending a nearby preschool, with a normal body mass index (BMI)-for-age percentile between, > 5th % to < 85th %.BMI, will participate in unstructured, outdoor play and one AVGs in a randomized order. Activity type, duration and intensity will be measured via accelerometery and direct observation. The energy expenditure (EE) will be calculated from Metabolic Equivalent (MET) values and the percent of time each activity meets MVPA intensity will be calculated. A MET is the energy cost of the activity expressed as kilocalories expended per kilogram of body weight per hour of activity. If EE and intensity in AVG play is similar to EE and intensity in outdoor play, then AVG play could be a great supplement to efforts aimed at increasing PA in children.
Other intervention name(s): active video games; outdoor play; accelerometery
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Crossover Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Other
Keywords: active video game; video gaming; accelerometery; MVPA; outdoor play; children; unstructured; energy expenditure