Scale of satisfaction for use of active videogames among students

Abstract

Videogames have become increasingly versatile, evolving in their versions, and in addition to a wide variety of models, the latest include an interactive component to users. However, little is known about the factors that most satisfy users regarding the use of active videogames as well as whether these factors differ by gender and age group. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the satisfaction factors for the use of active videogames among students by sex and age group. This is a cross-sectional descriptive study that included 120 students aged 6-13 years and mean age of 9.3 ± 1.7 years from two private schools of central Londrina. The data collection instrument was a scale of satisfaction for the use of active videogames, adapted from the Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale (PACES), which was self-administered to parents and students. The scale data were categorized into low and high satisfaction and descriptively analyzed by frequency of occurrence, mean and standard deviation. The chi-square test was used to check the association between categorization of overall satisfaction level and sex and age group. The level of significance adopted for analysis was 5%. Among students that reported making use of active videogames, 71 (59.2%) were boys and 49 (40.8%) were girls. Girls and boys have preferences for different categories of active videogames. While boys prefer “sport” games, girls prefer “dance” games. The use of active videogame offers high satisfaction among students, regardless of sex and age group, and the most reported satisfaction factor was “fun”. In this sense, the use of active videogames may help the effectiveness of actions of future interventions in the public health area, mainly for awakening “high satisfaction” among participants.