EXERGAMES IN ADOLESCENTS: ASSOCIATED FACTORS AND POSSIBLE REDUCTION IN SEDENTARY TIME

OBJECTIVE: To describe the use of exergames, associated factors and to quantify the time attributed to the use of exergames within the time spent on video games in a sample of adolescents from Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study that evaluated frequency and weekly volume of physical activities using the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Adolescents. Weekly frequency and daily time of use of exergames and videogames were self-reported. Mann-Whitney and Kruskal Wallis tests were used to compare the time spent playing exergames, and Poisson regression was used to test the associations (p<0.05). RESULTS: 495 adolescents were interviewed (51.3% girls), predominantly aged between 12 and 13 years (41.3%), under/normal weight (60.4%), medium socioeconomic status (39.8 %) and from public schools (69.3%). Most of the participants did not have video games in their bedroom (74.3%) and did not reach recommended levels of physical activity (55.5%). One in five adolescents used exergames (16.4%). Age (RP: 0.54; 95%CI 0.30-0.97, p=0.039) and having a console in the bedroom (RP: 1.89; 95%CI 1.27- 2.81, p=0.002) were associated with exergame use. Male sex (X_: 195.0; AIQ: 486.3; p=0.024) practice of leisure time physical activity (X_: 160.0; AIQ: 350.0; p=0.048) were associated with weekly volume of exergame use. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, less than two out of ten adolescents used exergames, and the use was higher among young adolescents and those who had a console in their bedrooms. Volume of use was higher among boys and those performing more than five hours of leisure time physical activity per week. In addition, a considerable part of the time devoted to the use of video games, was in fact, destined to the use of exergames.