The Experiences of Older Adults With Serious Mental Illness in a Group Videogame-based Phyiscal Activity Program
Year: 2018
Type: conference-abstract
Abstract: Objectives: Older adults with serious mental illness (SMI) often have poor physical health in addition to serious mental health issues. Sustained engagement in a group physical activity program may provide necessary physical and mental health benefits. The purpose of this report is to describe the impact of a pilot videogame-based group physical activity program using the Kinect for Xbox 360 game system (Microsoft, Redmond, WA) on participant’s health. Methods: Participants played an active videogame for 50-minute sessions three times a week for 10 weeks. Qualitative interviews were conducted with sixteen participants upon completion of the program. Qualitative data were collected and analyzed with grounded theory methodology. Results: Participants expressed enthusiasm for the physical activity program indicating it was an activity that they looked forward to doing. Engaging in positive health behaviors emerged as a central finding which included acknowledgement of physical limitations yet a willingness to try new activities (i.e., skiing); pushing boundaries while playing the games (i.e., playing games at a higher physical intensity level); and becoming more engaged in self-care. Participants noted an impact on their health such as feeling stronger, being more engaged socially, reduction in smoking for those that smoked, and more ease in doing their daily activities. Conclusion: Our results suggest that engagement in an intense videogame-based group physical activity program has a positive impact on participants’ overall health. The group atmosphere, variety of games, and the structure of the program were key features of the program that participants noted.
Source: Innovation in Aging
Authors: S Dobbins, E Hubbard, H Leutwyler
Institution: University of California, San Francisco
Language: English
Topic: Physical Activity and Health
Subfield: Physiology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,977
OpenAlex ID: W2900436085