| Title |
Impact of Game-Based Health Promotion Programs on Body Mass Index in Overweight/Obese Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials |
| Design |
Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials |
| Participants |
Overweight / obese children and adolescents |
| Intervention |
Active Gaming (e.g. exergaming, dance, soccer games, active video games) or active gaming combined with other interventions (e.g. nutrition counseling, health education) |
| Comparator |
Not reported |
| Major outcomes |
Body mass index (BMI) |
| Settings |
Not reported |
| Main results |
10 studies were included for meta-analysis. There was a small but significant effect in BMI reduction (SMD: -0.234 ; standard error: 0.069)
Trials that used other types of interventions along with active game-based intervention achieved greater effect sizes than single game-based interventions. |
| Conclusion |
Interventions that involve active gaming may produce small effects in terms of improving BMI among children who are overweight/obese.
The authors recommend that supplemental interventions be used to enhance the effectiveness of game-based interventions. |
| Link |
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29185787/ |
| Reference |
Ameryoun, A., Sanaeinasab, H., Saffari, M., & Koenig, H. G. (2018). Impact of Game-Based Health Promotion Programs on Body Mass Index in Overweight/Obese Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Childhood Obesity, 14(2), 67–80. https://doi.org/10.1089/chi.2017.0250 |
| Title |
Utilising active play interventions to promote physical activity and improve fundamental movement skills in children: a systematic review and meta-analysis |
| Design |
Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised or cluster randomised controlled trials and comparison studies with a randomised sample |
| Participants |
children aged 3-12 years |
| Intervention |
Active play interventions (loose play equipment in school playground, active play manual, equipment, and workshops for care-providers, trip to playground once / week for 1 hour, active play sessions delivered by play workers for parents and children). |
| Comparator |
Regular childhood curriculum, standard break times, no treatment |
| Major outcomes |
Primary: objectively measured physical activity, fundamental movement skills Secondary: cognition and weight status. |
| Settings |
Child-care centres , school playground, community |
| Main results |
There was no significant effect on moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (2 studies pooled). Meta-analysis could not be performed for fundamental movement skills. |
| Conclusion |
The review was not able to draw firm conclusions due to the small number of eligible studies. |
| Link |
https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-018-5687-z |
| Reference |
Johnstone, A., Hughes, A. R., Martin, A., & Reilly, J. J. (2018). Utilising active play interventions to promote physical activity and improve fundamental movement skills in children: A systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Public Health, 18(1), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-018-5687-z |
