Home-Based Exergaming Intervention

Summary

This study will employ a 3-arm randomized clinical trial to determine the effects of a 6-month home-based exergaming intervention on preschoolers' physical activity, health-related fitness, cognition, and screen time, across time, at 3, 6 and 12 months, and as an exploratory outcome, will explore the moderating effects of parent involvement and physical home environment on the intervention role of exergaming across time. Briefly, a total of 330 child-parent dyads from the Twin Cities area in Minnesota will be individually randomly assigned to: 1) an exergaming intervention group (30 min. per session, 5 sessions exergaming play per week for a 6-month period); 2) a traditional PA group (phone consultations and workshops for parents to offer 5 times 30 min. PA at home for 6 months); and 3) an attention control group (continue with usual activities at home with emailed PA tips).

Conditions

• Physical Activity
• Health-related Fitness
• Cognition
• Screen Time

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Exergaming intervention group

In addition to usual daily activity, the parent and child from each family will receive 3 game consoles (Wii, Kinect, and LeapTV) and various exergames (e.g., Nickelodeon Fit, Dance and Sports, Just Dance) with all necessary peripherals to play the games. Specifically, they will receive one game console and related exergames every 2 months to experience the variety of exergames and maintain interest in the games over time. Each parent will receive a booklet (established in our pilots studies) provides a standardized gameplay curriculum to play during each session, and attend training workshops at baseline and 3rd month in the PI's lab. The parent will be instructed to have the child perform exergaming at home for 30 minutes/session, 5 times per week, for 6 months. The games will be age appropriate for children 4-5-years-old. The games have been easy for children to learn and use in our pilot studies.

BEHAVIORAL

Traditional physical activity comparison

Home-based behavioral (e.g., nutrition/PA) interventions for young children usually only target parent for multiple reasons. In this study, group workshop sessions will offered to parents at baseline, 3rd month and 6th month, including information concerning how to promote PA and reduce sedentary behaviors. Identical curricular contents (e.g., dance/sports) for home PA will be offered to parents at baseline and 3rd month in the PI's lab. Parents will also learn about PA and sedentary behavior and their impact on health and cognition. Meanwhile, the intervention staff will encourage parents to increase their lifestyle activity such as taking stairs instead of the elevator and housecleaning. Parents will also learn to shape their child and their PA and sedentary behaviors to attain the following goals: 2 hour or less screen time and at least 180 min. PA per day for children; and at least 150 min. moderate PA for parents per week.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Minnesota

  lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

BASIC_SCIENCE

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

4 Years

Max Age

5 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2020-09-08

Primary Completion

2025-08-31

Completion

2025-08-31

Countries

• United States

Study Locations