Active Video Games and Sustainable Physical Activity (Exergames)

The study aims to investigate (1) the temporal trajectory from point of accession of active and inactive video game play in the home environment, (2) the effect of active video game play on overall physical activity and BMI, (3) effects of motivational variables, perceived neighborhood safety, media parenting practices and the home media environment on game play, and (4) what video game characteristics encourage sustainability of play.

Eighty children and their primary caregivers will be recruited to participate in and randomly assigned to the approximately 12 week study. Participating families will be given a Wii* video game console, Wii accessories necessary to play the games and two active or inactive video games**: one at the beginning of the first 6-week period and one at the beginning of the second 6-week period. PA levels of participating children will be measured using accelerometry the week prior to the introduction of the video game (baseline) and on weeks 1, 6, 7, and 12. They will keep a log of video game play on weeks 1, 6, 7 and 12. Objective video game play time will be transcribed at the end of week 12 from calendar stored in the Wii console. Height, weight, waist circumference, triceps skinfold will be measured prior to beginning study (baseline), and weeks 6 and 12. Questionnaires designed to examine the motivation to play a video game (end of weeks 6 and 12) and brief (about 15 minutes) qualitative interview on the children's experiences with the games (end of weeks 6 and 12) will be administered. Parents will complete baseline, week 6 and week 12 questionnaires about their family and child.

*The Wii console has been chosen for this project as it is the platform for the majority of currently popular active video games and it also automatically stores information on name of game played and duration of game play for each play period in a day based calendar. This provides an objective measurement of game use within the family overall, which cannot be modified by the user and can only be deleted by resetting the system.

**To allow reasonably free choice of videos and close replication of the natural setting, the two video games given to a family will be chosen by the 9-12 year-old participant from a selection of either inactive or active video games (depending on group assignment). The Wii video games selected for this study are all rated E (Everyone) by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (E have content suitable for ages 6 and older) and were chosen based on current popularity and review of market rankings. The selected Wii video games include:

Inactive Wii video games: Madden NFL 10, Mario Kart Wii, Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2, Disney Sing It, Band Hero, Mario Party 8, Animal Crossing: City Folk, NBA 2K10, New Super Mario Brothers, Sim Animals Africa, Super Paper Mario and Endless Ocean 2: Beautiful Ocean.

Active Wii video games: Wii Sport Resort, Wii Sport, Wii Fit, Wii Play, EA Sports Active, Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games, Dance, Dance Revolution, Active Life: Extreme Challenge, Academy of Champions, Summer Sports 2: Island Sports Party, and Super Monkey Ball Step and Roll.