An active video game intervention does not improve physical activity and sedentary time of children at-risk for developmental coordination disorder: A crossover randomized trial

© 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Background: Children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) are highly inactive and sedentary. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of a home-based active video game intervention on objectively measured physical activity and sedentary behaviour in children at risk for DCD. Methods: In a crossover randomized clinical trial, 21 children (mean age 11.0, SD 1.0; n=11 girls) in Perth, Western Australia participated in two 16-week periods: no active video games (AVGs) control period and AVGs intervention period. Two active input consoles were provided to participants along with a selection of non-violent AVGs for participants to play at home. Participants wore accelerometers at baseline and following each period to determine minutes of sedentary, light, moderate and vigorous times in addition to self-reported types of activities in a diary. Linear mixed models, adjusted for the order of periods, compared physical activity and sedentary time during the last week of each period. Results: There were no significant differences between the intervention and control periods in time spent in sedentary (decrease of -1.0min/day during the intervention period, 95%CI -12.1, 10.1), light (increase of 2.2min/day, 95%CI -8.8, 13.2), moderate (decrease of 0.7min/day, 95%CI -4.6, 3.3) or vigorous (decrease of -0.6min/day, 95%CI -1.6, 0.4). Conclusions: Among children at risk for DCD, participating in this AVG intervention did not improve objectively measured physical activity and sedentary time.