Tao Zhang, PhD; William Moore, PhD; Xiangli Gu, PhD; Tsz Lun (Alan) Chu; and Zan Gao, PhD

Abstract

Approximately half of the children in the United States do not meet the global physical activity guidelines, and many children adopt sedentary lifestyles. Given the fact about two-thirds children are classified as overweight or obese, traditional video games have been blamed as a major contributor to children’s sedentary behavior and excessive weight. However, active video gaming is a new solution to fight increasing sedentary behaviors and childhood obesity. The major purpose of this study was to review the prevalence of sedentary behaviors in children and examine the factors contributing to the trend of decreasing physical activity in children. The second purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which video games are used by children and potential benefits associated with active video gaming, specifically to promote physical activity in children. The additional purpose was to offer an argument for educational professionals in the school setting to integrate active video games as a way to combat sedentary behaviors and obesity utilizing the self-determination theory and expectancy-value model as theoretical frameworks.

Keywords: Active video games, motivation, physical activity, obesity

Category: Interdisciplinary P.E.

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