Background/Purpose College-aged females experience a variety of psycho-social and environmental barriers to physical activity (PA). One research area that needs further investigation is using technologies such as exergaming (i.e., physically active video games) to reduce PA barriers. This study explored the ability of a seven-week exergaming program to reduce barriers to PA for inactive college-aged females.
Methods Inactive college-aged females (N=8) completed a seven-week exergaming program during which they played Nintendo's Wii Fit in three 40-minute sessions per week. Interviews were conducted with each participant before and after the program.
Analysis/Results Themes were generated using inductive analysis and constant comparison. Triangulation and member checks established data credibility. Three themes emerged: (1) Personal and Environmental Dissatisfaction; (2) Social Networks; and (3) A Partial Solution. Participants expressed personal and environmental dissatisfaction (e.g., body image; weather) that created barriers to PA in the pre-program interviews. The influence of social networks on PA as a facilitator and barrier was also highlighted in pre-program interviews. Analysis of the post-program interviews revealed that while Wii Fit provided real benefits to overcoming PA barriers (e.g., safe PA environment, convenience), the participants viewed it only as a partial solution to becoming more active.
Conclusions Video games are generally considered a barrier to PA. Results of this study reveal how exergaming can actually reduce barriers for inactive college-aged females. However, exergaming does not appear to be a silver bullet and seems best suited as a supplemental strategy to overcoming PA barriers for inactive females in college.