Effectiveness of gamified exercise programs on the level of physical activity in adults with chronic diseases: a systematic review.

PURPOSE: to assess the effects of supervised and unsupervised gamified exercise programs on physical activity level, sedentary behavior and quality of life in patients with non-communicable chronic diseases.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Six database were searched. Methodological quality of included studies, the quality of reporting interventions and the quality of the applications were assessed using the PEDro, TIDieR and MARS, respectively.

RESULTS: Nine studies were included ( n  = 974; 60.2 ± 5.7 years). Three of them enrolled individuals with cancer, one with stroke, one with multiple sclerosis, one with COPD, two with Diabetes Mellitus, and one with knee and hip osteoarthritis. Gamification was performed via a smartphone application in three studies (MARS = 13.4 ± 9.75pts, ranging from 10.9 to 16.9pts). The intervention was supervised in six studies. The PEDro and TIDIeR scores were 5.5 ± 1.3 (ranging 0-8pts) and 16.11 ± 3.14 (ranging 10-20pts), respectively. Supervised gamified interventions increased the level of physical activity compared to usual supervised exercises. Quality of life was similar between groups. Unsupervised interventions were similar for all outcomes evaluated.

CONCLUSIONS: Supervised gamified exercise programs seem to increase the level of physical activity compared to usual exercises in patients with chronic diseases. However, studies with better methodological qualities and subgroup analyzes are needed.