The contribution of NintendoWii Fitseries in the field of health: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

BackgroundWii Fitwas originally designed as a health and fitness interactive training experience for the general public. There are, however, many examples ofWii Fitbeing utilized in clinical settings. This article aims to identify the contribution ofWii Fitin the field of health promotion and rehabilitation by: (1) identifying the health-related domains for which theWii Fitseries has been tested, (2) clarifying the effect ofWii Fitin those identified health-related domains and (3) quantifying this effect.MethodA systematic literature review was undertaken. The MEDLINE database andGames for Health Journalpublished content were explored using the search term “Wii-Fit.” Occurrences resulting from manual searches on Google and material suggested by experts in the field were also considered. Included articles were required to have measurements fromWii Fitactivities for at least one relevant health indicator. The effect ofWii Fitinterventions was assessed using meta-analyses for the following outcomes: activity-specific balance confidence score, Berg balance score (BBC) and time-up-and-go test (TUG).FindingsA total of 115 articles highlighted that theWii Fithas been tested in numerous healthy and pathological populations. Out of these, only a few intervention studies have focused on the prevention of chronic diseases. A large proportion of the studies focus on balance training (N= 55). This systematic review highlights several potential benefits ofWii Fitinterventions and these positive observations are supported by meta-analyses data (N= 25). For example, the BBC and the TUG respond to a similar extend toWii Fitinterventions compared with traditional training.ConclusionWii Fithas the potential to be used as a rehabilitation tool in different clinical situations. However, the current literature includes relatively few randomized controlled trials in each population. Further research is therefore required.