Effects of Active Video Game Interventions on Physical Health and Development Among Healthy Preschool Children

Abstract

Early physical activity (PA) interventions during preschool ages are necessary and critical to cultivate healthy movement behaviors for healthy growth and development. The increasing obesity rate among children is a major public health concern globally, which is largely due to poor adherence to participating in regular PA. Active video game (AVG) interventions have been increasingly used in promoting PA. The narrative review synthesized current literature regarding the effect of AVG interventions on physical health and development indicators among healthy preschoolers. A systematic review was performed in Academic Search Premier, CINAHL, ERIC, PubMed, SPORT Discus, and Web of Science, following the PRISMA guidelines. A total of seven experimental studies were included; two were home-based interventions and four were center-based interventions. Three studies confirmed AVG interventions had a positive effect on the targeted outcomes: fruit and vegetable acceptance, execution function, and perceived competence. All other studies found partially positive effects on PA levels, motor skill competence, fundamental movement skills, or cognitive flexibility. The available evidence suggests that AVGs could be a promising channel to promote PA outcomes that contribute to physical health and development in preschoolers. The results underline advantages and usages of AVG interventions in preschoolers although evidence provided limited robustness. There is a paucity of studies that investigated the effect of AVG PA interventions on physical health and development in healthy preschoolers. Future studies are needed to replicate findings and test feasibility and efficacy of AVG PA interventions.