Social Exergaming for Healthy Weight in Adolescent Girls

Klub Kinect: Social Exergaming for Healthy Weight in Adolescent Girls

The purpose is to evaluate the feasibility of a 12-week exergaming dance program for adolescent girls. This study combines dancing, video games, and a full body work-out to test if video games can increase physical activity and promote healthy weight in adolescent girls. We hypothesize that girls who play the dance exergames, versus those in the control group, will lose weight, decrease body fat and visceral fat, improve cardiovascular health, increase physical activity, and improve psychosocial health including self-confidence and quality of life.

Klub Kinect will last about 14 weeks for each participant. The program begins with a 3.5 hour clinic visit, the intervention lasts for 12 weeks, and the participant comes in for a final 3.5 hour clinic visit.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age 14-18 years old
• Female
• Postmenarchal
• BMI percentile equal to or greater than 85th on the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention growth chart
• Speak, understand, read, and write English
• Willing to accept randomization

Exclusion Criteria:

• Pregnant
• Hospitalization for mental illness within the past 5 years.
• Since the focus herein is on ambulatory activities, participants who use wheelchairs or other impairments that prevent normal ambulation will be excluded
• Indication of cardiac abnormality on an electrocardiogram that requires referral to a cardiologist
• Previous history of, or clinical symptoms or signs of, cardiovascular disease, stroke or transient ischemic attacks, chest pain, unusual dyspnea during physical activity/exercise, severe ankle edema, or intermittent claudication.
• Previous history of musculoskeletal injuries or problems causing severe pain during physical activity or exercise which interferes with daily activities.
• Participant has a pacemaker or other implanted medical device (including metal joint replacements).
• Participant is unable to complete all baseline testing (one session) within 1 month prior to the beginning of the intervention
• Medical problems, including epileptic seizures, that prevent video game play
• Family history of epileptic seizures
• Unable to make the commitment of coming to Pennington Biomedical Research Center for 3 weekly gaming sessions for 12 weeks