Effects of Exergames on Balance, Functional Mobility, and Quality of Life of Geriatrics Versus Home Exercise Programme: Randomized Controlled Study.

AIM: To compare the effects of exergames (EGs) using the Xbox Kinect™ device and home exercise (HE) on balance, functional mobility, and quality of life of individuals aged 65 years or older.

METHOD: One hundred participants who met the inclusion criteria were randomized to the EG or HE group. The EG group took part in a 6-week programme using the Xbox360Kinect™ device, and the HE group took part in a 6-week balance exercise programme at home 5 days a week. The Berg Balance Scale (BBS) was used to assess balance, the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test was used to evaluate functional walking, and the Short Form 36 (SF-36) was used to assess quality of life.

RESULTS: Forty-eight participants in the EG group and 42 participants in the HE group completed the study. The groups were similar in terms of age, sex, and pretreatment values of BBS, TUG, and SF-36. Although the BBS scores of both groups improved significantly (all p<0.05), the post-treatment scores of the EG group were better than those of the HE group. The TUG scores improved only in the EG group (p<0.05). The increase in the BBS scores and decrease in the TUG test scores were significant only in the EG group (all p<0.05). A significant improvement was also observed in the quality of life parameters of physical functioning, social role functioning, physical role restriction, general health perceptions, and physical component scores in the post-exercise evaluations of the EG group. The participants commented that they found the EG programme very entertaining.

CONCLUSION: The EG can be considered a safe, entertaining and sustainable alternative to HE programmes, and it may have positive effects on balance, functional walking and quality of life in geriatric subjects.