Virtual exergames led to significant reductions in BMI and increased physical activity levels in obese college students over an 8-week intervention (p < 0.05).
Does an 8-week virtual exergames intervention improve BMI and physical activity levels in obese college students?
An 8-week virtual exergames intervention significantly improved BMI and physical activity levels compared to standard lifestyle in obese college students.
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In recent years, the prevalence of overweight and obesity in China has risen significantly, becoming a major public health issue, with increasing rates among college students. Obesity not only harms physical health but also contributes to psychological issues like depression and anxiety. Currently, digitalized exercise modes are gradually becoming the preferred choice for young people, with virtual exergames standing out as a major force driving this trend due to their unique fun and interactive nature. Unlike traditional exercise, virtual exergames are active video games controlled by bodily movements in a safe environment, offering a fun way to overcome exercise barriers and improve adherence among college students. Thus, this study was to explore the impact of virtual exergames on BMI and physical activity levels in this population. This study recruited 30 college students from Central China Normal University (Mage=20.17±2.15, MBMI=29.82±2.95, 7 males, 23 females) as experimental Inbody and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form (IPAQ-SF) to examine changes in BMI and physical activity levels before and after the intervention. The experimental group underwent an 8-week exergames intervention, with sessions held 3 times per week for 90 minutes each, while the control group maintained their original lifestyle without additional interventions. A repeated measures ANOVA was used to examine change (i.e., BMI and physical activity) before and after intervention. The repeated-measures ANOVA, with group (experimental vs. control) as a between-subject factor and time (pre-test, post-test) as a within-subject factor, revealed significant group × time interactions for BMI, high-intensity physical activity time, physical activity volume, and sedentary time (F (1,28) = 18.79, 8.01, 8.10 & 5.92, respectively, all p < 0.05). Post-hoc analyses revealed that the improvements in BMI, high-intensity physical activity time, physical activity volume, and sedentary time from pre-test to post-test were significantly greater in the experimental group compared to the control group. This indicates that the experimental group achieved better improvements in BMI, high-intensity physical activity time, physical activity volume, and sedentary time than the control group. Virtual exergames can improve BMI and physical activity levels among college students. This indicates that virtual exergames play an important role in improving weight management and promoting physical activity among students, helping college students adopt healthier lifestyles.
Pang et al. (Thu,) reported a other. Virtual exergames led to significant reductions in BMI and increased physical activity levels in obese college students over an 8-week intervention (p < 0.05).