The Social Effects of Exergames on Older Adults: Systematic Review and Metric Analysis

Abstract

BackgroundRecently, many studies have been conducted to investigate the effects of exergames on the social well-being of older adults.ObjectiveThe aim of this paper is to synthesize existing studies and provide an overall picture on the social effects of exergames on older adults.MethodsA comprehensive literature search with inclusive criteria was conducted in major social science bibliographic databases. The characteristics of exergames, participants, methodology, as well as outcome measurements were extracted from the relevant studies included in the review. The bibliometric and altmetric outreach of the included studies were also investigated.ResultsA total of 10 studies were included in the review, with 8 studies having used the Nintendo Wii platform. Most of the studies recruited healthy older adults from local communities or senior activity centers. Three groups of social-related outcomes have been identified, including emotion-related, behavior-related, and attitude-related outcomes. A metric analysis has shown that the emotion-related and behavior-related outcomes received high attention from both the academic community and social media platforms.ConclusionsOverall, the majority of exergame studies demonstrated promising results for enhanced social well-being, such as reduction of loneliness, increased social connection, and positive attitudes towards others. The paper also provided implications for health care researchers and exergame designers.

Kinect Project: People with dementia or mild cognitive impairment learning to play group motion‐based games

“…The present study features several strengths. Although previous studies highlight the feasibility and benefits of using MBT with older adults [27,28], this study focused specifically on PCI. In addition, the present study quantified the use of errorless learning when coaching PCI to use MBT through analysis of video recorded data.…”

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“…The Other reviews have looked at the impact of ICT use by older people either on physical (73,74) or on social dimensions (75,76). With respect to physical dimensions, the integrative review by Skjaeret et al (73) found positive effects of exergaming on balance and gait, and no major adverse effects.…”

“…However, the effect of ICT on loneliness was inconclusive, with some studies indicating a negative impact. Li et al (76) reviewed the impact of exergames for older adults on social aspects and found generally positive impacts on loneliness, social connection, and attitudes towards others.…”

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“…These issues lead to an urgent need of providing healthcare systems that can contribute to medical rehabilitation and enhance social well-being among the elderly. The exergames, which combine physical exercise with digital gaming, have proved to bring great benefits to the participants' physical, cognitive and psychological well-being [141,142]. Most importantly, the elderly can use these systems in their own home, where they feel emotionally more comfortable and where the rehabilitation process can be more efficient.…”

“…Jinhui Li et al [141] conducted a literature research on exergame studies and concluded that the interaction of elderly population with these type of video games have promising results regarding the enhancement of social well-being, including the increase of positive attitudes and social connection, and also reduction of loneliness.…”