Can The Nintendo Wii(tm) Sports Game System Be Effectively Utilized In The Nursing Home Environment: A Feasibility Study?

Abstract

This mixed-method study examined the feasibility and potential benefits of five weeks of Nintendo Wii SportsTM (NWS) play for 11 nursing home residents. Nursing home staff and residents suggested that the NWS is feasible in the nursing home context and that it has psychosocial benefits. While no significant changes in dynamic stability, health-related quality of life (QOL) or fear of falling were observed (p = 0.185-0.841), a moderate effect size for physical health-related QOL was found. Randomized controlled trials involving larger samples and more outcome measures appear required to determine the possible benefits of the NWS for nursing home residents.

Effectiveness and Acceptability of e- and m-Health Interventions to Promote Physical Activity and Prevent Falls in Nursing Homes—A Systematic Review

“…Two studies did not provide fixed exergaming sessions to the residents, instead they were free to play if and when they wanted. This resulted in a similar amount of mean playing time, i.e., 28 min per week over 5 weeks ( Keogh et al, 2012 ) and 30 min per week over 8 weeks ( Keogh et al, 2014 ), respectively. In both studies, the mean duration was consistent across the course of the intervention.…”

“…From the additional search, another 75 articles were included in the full-text screening, of which 8 met the inclusion criteria. Thus, a total of 28 articles were included in this systematic review ( Chan et al, 2001 ; Brandt and Paniagua, 2011 ; Keogh et al, 2012 ; Pichierri et al, 2012 ; Ulbrecht et al, 2012 ; Janssen et al, 2013 ; Keogh et al, 2014 ; Fu et al, 2015 ; Grigorova-Petrova et al, 2015 ; Rogan et al, 2016 ; Yesilyaprak et al, 2016 ; Delbroek et al, 2017 ; Monteiro-Junior et al, 2017 ; Hutchinson et al, 2018 ; Kamińska et al, 2018 ; Sun et al, 2018 ; Taylor et al, 2018 ; Wu et al, 2019 ; de Bruin et al, 2020 ; Cicek et al, 2020 ; Fakhro et al, 2020 ; Rica et al, 2020 ; Babadi and Daneshmandi, 2021 ; Huang et al, 2021 ; Loggia et al, 2021 ; Marinus et al, 2021 ; Ramnath et al, 2021 ; Zahedian-Nasab et al, 2021 ). The PRISMA flow diagram of the study selection process is shown in Figure 1 .…”

“…Other performance-oriented balance tests evaluating the risk of falls were the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB, Guralnik et al, 1994 ) used in two studies ( Rogan et al, 2016 ; de Bruin et al, 2020 ), the Tinetti Scale (TS, Tinetti, 1986 , sometimes referred to as Performance Oriented Mobility Assessment) also used by two studies ( Delbroek et al, 2017 ; Sun et al, 2018 ), the Fullerton Advanced Balance scale (FAB, Rose et al, 2006 ) in Babadi and Daneshmandi (2021) , the Four Square Step Test (FSST, Dite and Temple, 2002 ) in Keogh et al (2012) and Keogh et al (2014) , the Dynamic Gait Index (DGI, Shumway-Cook and Woollacott, 2007 ) in Kamińska et al (2018) and the Short-form Physiological Profile Assessment (S-PPA, Lord et al, 2003 ) in Fu et al (2015) .…”

“…Five studies ( Fu et al, 2015 ; Kamińska et al, 2018 ; Sun et al, 2018 ; de Bruin et al, 2020 ; Babadi and Daneshmandi, 2021 ) reported significant improvements for the exergaming group post intervention, while two ( Keogh et al, 2012 ; Delbroek et al, 2017 ) did not. When compared to usual care ( Keogh et al, 2014 ; Babadi and Daneshmandi, 2021 ) or sham interventions, which were expected to have no effects ( Rogan et al, 2016 ; de Bruin et al, 2020 ), heterogenous effects were reported.…”

“…In both studies, the mean duration was consistent across the course of the intervention. However, considerable interindividual differences were observed, with a range of 1–69 min ( Keogh et al, 2012 ) and 1–105 min ( Keogh et al, 2014 ) per week, respectively.…”