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. 2023 Aug 14:14:1238057.
doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1238057. eCollection 2023.

Acute effects of exergaming on young adults' energy expenditure, enjoyment, and self-efficacy

Dandong Gu  1 , Chenling Gu  2 , John Oginni  3 , Suryeon Ryu  4 , Wenxi Liu  5 , Xianxiong Li  6 , Zan Gao  3
Affiliations

Acute effects of exergaming on young adults' energy expenditure, enjoyment, and self-efficacy

Dandong Gu et al. Front Psychol. .

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of a dance-based exergaming on Chinese college students' energy expenditure, self-efficacy, and enjoyment in comparison with the traditional aerobic dance exercise. Forty young adults (33 females; Mage = 21.55 years, SD = 2.06) completed two separate 20 min exercise sessions with 10 min intervals on the same day: (1) Xbox 360 Kinect Just Dance exergaming session; and (2) a traditional instructor-led aerobic dance exercise session. Participants' energy expenditure (Kcal/session) was measured by the ActiGraph GT9X Link accelerometers, and their perceived self-efficacy and enjoyment were assessed via validated surveys following each session. Dependent t-test indicated significant differences in participants' enjoyment (t = -1.83, p = 0.04). Specifically, participants in the dance-based exergaming session reported a higher level of enjoyment (M = 3.96, SD = 0.65) as compared to the aerobic dance session (M = 3.61, SD = 0.54). However, there was no significant difference in energy expenditure and self-efficacy between the two sessions. Findings suggest that college students had comparable energy expenditure as the traditional aerobic dance session while experiencing more fun and enjoyment. This suggests that exergaming can be a fun exercise alternative for promoting physical activity among young adults.

Keywords: Just Dance; accelerometers; college students; exergaming; perceived enjoyment; physical activity; self-efficacy.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Exergaming dance.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Traditional aerobic dance.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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