The effects of video-based exergames on balance and agility in children with and without developmental coordination...

Developmental coordination disorder (DCD) is a relatively common neurodevelopmental disorder that affects 5-6% of school-age children worldwide. This study evaluated the effects of video-based exergames on balance and agility in children with and without DCD.

Four databases were searched, and the inclusion criteria include: 1. Children with DCD under 14 years old. 2. Randomized controlled trials. 3. The experimental group (EG) used video-based exergames. 4. Control group (CG) did not use exergames or typically developing (TD) children. 5. The test indicators before and after intervention included balance and agility. Use the Cochrane bias risk assessment tool to evaluate the quality of the selected study. Select standardized mean difference (SMD) as the appropriate effect scale index, and use Revman 5.4 software to analyze the mean difference of the selected article data (Registration number: CRD420261289081).

The meta-analysis outcomes showed video-based exergames considerably enhanced the balance (SMD, 0.82 (0.53, 1.11), p < 0.05, I ² = 45%) of children with DCD, rather than agility [SMD, 0.93 (-0.28, 2.14), p = 0.13, I ² = 86%] compared to the no exergames group. The balance (SMD, 0.84 (0.61, 1.07), p < 0.05, I ² = 0%) and agility [SMD, 0.47 (0.15, 0.78), p < 0.05, I ² = 0%] of children with DCD of TD children were also considerably enhanced with exergames interventions.

Video-based exergames present potential benefits for improving the balance of children with DCD. Consequently, such interventions could be a potential non-pharmacological treatment for children with DCD.