Health Games Study – Engaging Children in Exergames PDF Print E-mail
The Health Games Study is a 2-year study to explore how "exergames" could be designed to improve player health behaviors and outcomes. The Health Games Study was awarded funding in the first round of funding from Health Games Research, a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation national program established to support innovative research in the development and use of games to achieve desirable health outcomes.

The Health Games Study is a three-phase study that consists of

  1. Behavioral experts applying behavioral theories to determine the extent to which behavior change principles are incorporated into exergames.
  2. A laboratory study to observe adolescent (ages 10-16) interactions with different exergames through feedback on their experience playing the games and their physical, emotional, and verbal actions during game play.
  3. A field study to test whether an "extertainment" game in the home increases and sustains physical activity over a 3-month period.

The Xavix game system is used in all three phases as it offers a number of interactive physical activity promoting exertainment games such as tennis, boxing, and cardio-fitness.  The Xavix system consists of a consol port that connects to a television along with game cartridges and sport equipment controllers.  

Principal Investigator: Greg Norman, PhD
Co-Investigators: Marc Adams, MPH, Jacqueline Kerr, PhD
Project Coordinator: Lindsay Dillon, MPH

Related Links

Health Games Research Program, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Xavix

Games for Health