Physical Activity and Exergame Interest Among Adolescents with Probable Developmental Coordination Disorder: Potential to Shift Toward Active Play

AIMS: This study examined physical activity levels, video gaming habits, and interest in using exergames among adolescents with probable developmental coordination disorder (p-DCD). It also explored relationships between physical activity, sedentary video gaming time, and preferences between sedentary video games and exergames. METHODS: = 42) completed a questionnaire. RESULTS: 58.3% of participants reported low physical activity. On weekdays, 46.5% sat for 4-8 h; on weekends, 37.3% sat for 8-12 h. Motivations for sedentary video gaming included entertainment and social interaction. On weekdays, 39.8% played sedentary video games for 1-2 h; on weekends, 43.7% played for 3-5 h. While 43.7% believed exergames could increase their activity, 52.9% preferred sedentary video games. No significant relationship was found between physical activity levels and sedentary video gaming time or video game type preferences. CONCLUSION: Participants reported high sedentary behavior and sedentary video gaming engagement. Although many expressed interest in exergames, sedentary video games were preferred, suggesting the need to enhance exergames' entertainment value. Game choice may be influenced more by appeal and engagement than by physical activity levels.