NCT05949359

The Feasibility of Nintendo RingFit to Improve Balance and Muscle Strength of Elders

Effects of a Balance and Muscle Strengthening Exercise Program Using the Nintendo RingFit in Community-dwelling Older Adults With a History of Falls - a Feasibility Randomized Controlled Trial

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 43 (actual)
• Sponsor: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 60 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

Background Existing findings have suggested that exergaming (i.e., exercise that requires people to move their body to play, providing an active gaming experience while serving as a form of physical activity), may have a potential to improve muscle strength and balance in older adults. However, no study has been conducted to investigate the effects of the Nintendo RingFit - an action role-playing game that aims to provide exercise training using a ring-shaped force sensor - in improving muscle strength and balance and possibly reducing falls in older adults living in the community. Objective This study aims to investigate the feasibility of an exercise training program using Nintendo RingFit to improve balance and muscle strength among community-dwelling older adults. Design A single-blind, randomized controlled feasibility trial. Methods 30 participants will be recruited at local community-based elderly centers. Participants will be randomized to either the Nintendo RingFit-based exercise training group (NRE) or control group (CON) group with an allocation ratio of 1:1 by a researcher who will not participate in the recruitment and outcome evaluation. The NRE group will received an 8-week exercise training focusing on balance and lower limb muscle strength using the Nintendo RingFit. The CON group will receive a booklet and verbal instructions on the exercise for falls prevention, will be invited to join a leisure activity program (e.g., singing group) without any active exercise component for 8 weeks. Outcomes The feasibility, acceptability and safety of the program will be examined at the end of the intervention. Postural balance, lower extremity strength, mobility, attention and executive function, fear of falling, and falls incidence of the participants will be assessed at 8 weeks. Statistical analyses Descriptive statistics were presented for all variables. Chi-Square Test will be used to compare the difference in the proportion of fallers between the NRE and CON groups. Mann-Whitney U Test will be used to compare the functional outcomes between the 2 groups.

Conditions

• Accidental Falls

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Nintendo RingFit-augmented exercise program	Participants in the NRE group received an 8-week exercise training program using the Nintendo RingFit (60 minutes for each session, two sessions a week). In each session, the participants first performed 5 minutes of walk-up exercises (i.e., simple jogging), followed by 50 minutes of Nintendo RingFit exercises and 5 minutes of cool down exercises. The exercise intensity, in terms of repetitions, holding time of the exercise and advancement to difficult tasks, progressed gradually in 8 weeks.

Timeline

• Start date: 2021-08-01
• Primary completion: 2023-04-30
• Completion: 2023-06-30
• First posted: 2023-07-18
• Last updated: 2023-07-19

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Hong Kong