Acceptance of different design exergames in elders

PLoS One. 2018 Jul 5;13(7):e0200185. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0200185. eCollection 2018.

Abstract

For promoting the successful aging of elderly residents of Chang Gung Silver Village in Taiwan, five interactive exergames were developed to promote the well-being of the elderly. The exergames included both physical games and cognitive games, and were implemented using various computer-based technologies in the Chang Gung Silver Village. The exergames were trialed by 39 elderly residents (15 male, 24 female; mean age 79.5 ± 17.5 years) of Chang Gung Silver Village. Following the trials, the participants were requested to complete a Technology Acceptance Model 2 (TAM2) questionnaire. The results showed that the perceived playfulness and perceived usefulness of the exergames were significantly related to the users' usage behavior and intention to use for both the physical games and the cognitive games. However, a relationship between the output quality of the game and the usage behavior was apparent only in the case of the cognitive exergames. Finally, the impact of social influence on the intention to use and the usage behavior was more pronounced for the physical exergames. Overall, the results revealed that the acceptance of exergames by the elderly depends not so much on the awareness of fun in using the game, but the perceived usefulness of the related physical and cognitive abilities.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Cognition
  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / methods*
  • Exercise
  • Exercise Movement Techniques / methods*
  • Female
  • Healthy Aging / physiology
  • Healthy Aging / psychology*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Taiwan
  • User-Computer Interface
  • Video Games / psychology

Grants and funding

This research was supported by the Chang Gung Medical Foundation, https://www.cgmh.org.tw/eng2002/center_main.htm, grants: CMRPG5B0051-53 (Alice M K Wong),CMPRD3B0031-33 (Chung-Chih Lin), and CMRPG5B0061-63 (Chia-Ying Chung). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.