Feasibility of an Active Game Program in a Dutch Pre-Vocational High School Setting

This study examined the use of an active gaming program in a pre-vocational school over a 1-year period.

Three hundred students (mean age, 13.3 years; range, 12-18 years) were invited to participate and exposed to the active game program called E-sportszone, in which they could participate during the school day and after school. Attendance to E-sportszone was assessed by objectively monitoring over a 1-year period and self-report. Questionnaires about E-sportszone attendance, physical activity (PA), and sedentary behavior and underlying psychosocial determinants were administered at baseline and after 1 year.

Forty-two percent of the students attended the E-sportszone at least once. Attendance over the year varied from 1 day through 114 days (median, 3 days) with a peak during the E-sportszone marathon that was organized. Multivariate analysis showed boys used the E-sportszone more than girls (odds ratio [OR] 2.8) and older students were less likely to be users than younger students (OR 0.4). Furthermore, students who had a more positive attitude toward PA (OR 1.5) or who had higher scores on intention to use the E-sportszone (OR 1.5) were more likely to engage in active gaming than those who had lower scores.

A substantial group of at-risk students (i.e., high body mass index, low PA, and high level of sedentary behavior) used the E-sportszone at least once. However, frequency of usage was low, resulting in limited contribution to PA behavior. Long-term use was challenging, and future studies should focus on strategies to encourage continued use of active games in this type of pre-vocational school setting.