Active Video Gaming and Obesity in Children 6–12 Years Old: A Systematic Review

Objectives: Although many governments and scientific organisations have developed strategies to combat the epidemic of childhood obesity, the unsatisfactory results thus far warrant further studies. The aim of this systematic review is to investigate the effects of active video games (AVGs) on physical activity (PA) levels and BMI (body mass index)/body composition in overweight and obese children 6–12 years of age. Methods: Articles were retrieved from the databases of Scopus, PubMed (MEDLINE), SPORTDiscus, and CINAHL. Thirteen articles met the inclusion criteria and were categorised according to the AVG intervention length. Results: AVG intervention periods of 4–12 weeks seem to moderately improve PA levels and refine BMI/body composition levels. In contrast, interventions lasting 13–24 weeks revealed encouraging results for improving PA, but had little effect on BMI/body composition levels. Conclusions: AVGs can generally help overweight and obese children 6–12 years of age to improve their PA levels and reduce BMI and/or improve body composition.