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. 2024 Jun 13:7:e57198.
doi: 10.2196/57198.

Digital Gaming and Exercise Among Youth With Type 1 Diabetes: Cross-Sectional Analysis of Data From the Type 1 Diabetes Exercise Initiative Pediatric Study

Susana R Patton  1 , Robin L Gal  2 , Simon Bergford  2 , Peter Calhoun  2 , Mark A Clements  3 , Jennifer L Sherr  4 , Michael C Riddell  5
Affiliations

Digital Gaming and Exercise Among Youth With Type 1 Diabetes: Cross-Sectional Analysis of Data From the Type 1 Diabetes Exercise Initiative Pediatric Study

Susana R Patton et al. JMIR Pediatr Parent. .

Abstract

Background: Regular physical activity and exercise are fundamental components of a healthy lifestyle for youth living with type 1 diabetes (T1D). Yet, few youth living with T1D achieve the daily minimum recommended levels of physical activity. For all youth, regardless of their disease status, minutes of physical activity compete with other daily activities, including digital gaming. There is an emerging area of research exploring whether digital games could be displacing other physical activities and exercise among youth, though, to date, no studies have examined this question in the context of youth living with T1D.

Objective: We examined characteristics of digital gaming versus nondigital gaming (other exercise) sessions and whether youth with T1D who play digital games (gamers) engaged in less other exercise than youth who do not (nongamers), using data from the Type 1 Diabetes Exercise Initiative Pediatric study.

Methods: During a 10-day observation period, youth self-reported exercise sessions, digital gaming sessions, and insulin use. We also collected data from activity wearables, continuous glucose monitors, and insulin pumps (if available).

Results: The sample included 251 youths with T1D (age: mean 14, SD 2 y; self-reported glycated hemoglobin A1c level: mean 7.1%, SD 1.3%), of whom 105 (41.8%) were female. Youth logged 123 digital gaming sessions and 3658 other exercise (nondigital gaming) sessions during the 10-day observation period. Digital gaming sessions lasted longer, and youth had less changes in glucose and lower mean heart rates during these sessions than during other exercise sessions. Youth described a greater percentage of digital gaming sessions as low intensity (82/123, 66.7%) when compared to other exercise sessions (1104/3658, 30.2%). We had 31 youths with T1D who reported at least 1 digital gaming session (gamers) and 220 youths who reported no digital gaming (nongamers). Notably, gamers engaged in a mean of 86 (SD 43) minutes of other exercise per day, which was similar to the minutes of other exercise per day reported by nongamers (mean 80, SD 47 min).

Conclusions: Digital gaming sessions were longer in duration, and youth had less changes in glucose and lower mean heart rates during these sessions when compared to other exercise sessions. Nevertheless, gamers reported similar levels of other exercise per day as nongamers, suggesting that digital gaming may not fully displace other exercise among youth with T1D.

Keywords: DM; TD1; TD2; adolescent; adolescents; child; children; computerized game; computerized games; diabetes; diabetes mellitus; diabetic; digital game; digital games; electronic game; electronic games; exercise; exercises; exercising; gaming; mobile phone; pediatric; pediatrics; physical activities; physical activity; teen; teenager; teenagers; teens; type 1 diabetes; type 2 diabetes; youth.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest: SRP reports receiving grants from the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the Jaeb Center for Health Research, as well as an honorarium from the American Diabetes Association outside the submitted work. RLG, SB, and PC report no conflicts of interest. MAC is the chief medical officer of Glooko, Inc, and has received research support from Dexcom and Abbott Diabetes Care. Children’s Mercy Kansas City has received grants or contracts for MAC from the NIH, the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust, JDRF, the Emily Rosebud Foundation, Eli Lilly, the Jaeb Center for Health Research, Tolerion, and Garmin. JLS serves, or has served, on advisory panels for Bigfoot Biomedical, Cecelia Health, Insulet Corporation, Medtronic Diabetes, StartUp Health Diabetes Moonshot, and Vertex. JLS has served as a consultant to Abbott Diabetes, Bigfoot Biomedical, Insulet, Medtronic Diabetes, and Zealand Pharma. Yale School of Medicine has received research support for JLS from Abbott Diabetes, the Jaeb Center for Health Research, JDRF, Insulet, Medtronic, the NIH, and Provention Bio. MCR serves on the following advisory panels: Zealand Pharma A/S, Zucara Therapeutics, and Indigo Diabetes. MCR acts as a consultant for the Jaeb Center for Health Research and has given lectures sponsored by Dexcom, Inc; Novo Nordisk; and Sanofi. He is also a shareholder, or holds stocks in, Supersapiens and Zucara Therapeutics.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.. Glucose metrics for digital gaming and other exercise sessions. The percentages on the right of each bar indicate the average percentage of time spent in each glucose category. The numbers to the left of each bar specify glucose levels in mg/dL.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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