The effect of exergame rehabilitation on the quality of life of cancer patients undergoing abdominal surgery: a randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Purpose Exergames, which combine digital games and physical exercise, have become increasingly popular for rehabilitation in the health domain. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of exergame rehabilitation on the quality of life of cancer patients undergoing abdominal surgery. Methods This randomized controlled trial evaluated the effectiveness of exergame rehabilitation on the quality of life of cancer patients who had undergone abdominal surgery. Seventy postoperative patients were included, and data collection took place between January 2023 and May 2023. The patients were randomly assigned to either an exergame rehabilitation program (n = 35) or a traditional rehabilitation program (n = 35). The assessed outcome was the quality of life, and data collection occurred at three different time points: upon admission, 48 h postoperatively, and on the 7th day after surgery. Results Quality of life was evaluated using the WHOQOL-BREF Scale. At the third assessment, a statistically significant difference was observed between the two groups (p = 0.016), indicating that the intervention group had a higher quality of life than the control group. Conclusions The study showed a positive effect of exergames on the population under investigation. By the 7th day after surgery, the intervention group demonstrated an improvement in their quality of life compared to the control group. Clinical trial registration Center of Open Science OSF https://osf.io/286zb/, registered in July, 2023.