The Feasibility of Nintendo RingFit to Improve Balance and Muscle Strength of Elders

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Accidental Falls

Treatments: Other: Nintendo RingFit-augmented exercise program

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05949359

URIS2021-111

Details and patient eligibility

About

Background Existing findings have suggested that exergaming (i.e., exercise that requires people to move their body to play, providing an active gaming experience while serving as a form of physical activity), may have a potential to improve muscle strength and balance in older adults. However, no study has been conducted to investigate the effects of the Nintendo RingFit - an action role-playing game that aims to provide exercise training using a ring-shaped force sensor - in improving muscle strength and balance and possibly reducing falls in older adults living in the community.

Objective This study aims to investigate the feasibility of an exercise training program using Nintendo RingFit to improve balance and muscle strength among community-dwelling older adults.

Design A single-blind, randomized controlled feasibility trial.

Methods 30 participants will be recruited at local community-based elderly centers. Participants will be randomized to either the Nintendo RingFit-based exercise training group (NRE) or control group (CON) group with an allocation ratio of 1:1 by a researcher who will not participate in the recruitment and outcome evaluation. The NRE group will received an 8-week exercise training focusing on balance and lower limb muscle strength using the Nintendo RingFit. The CON group will receive a booklet and verbal instructions on the exercise for falls prevention, will be invited to join a leisure activity program (e.g., singing group) without any active exercise component for 8 weeks.

Outcomes The feasibility, acceptability and safety of the program will be examined at the end of the intervention. Postural balance, lower extremity strength, mobility, attention and executive function, fear of falling, and falls incidence of the participants will be assessed at 8 weeks.

Statistical analyses Descriptive statistics were presented for all variables. Chi-Square Test will be used to compare the difference in the proportion of fallers between the NRE and CON groups. Mann-Whitney U Test will be used to compare the functional outcomes between the 2 groups.

Enrollment: 43 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 60+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• were 60 years old or above;
• had at least one fall in the past year;
• were able to walk independently without a walking aid for at least 10 meters;
• had no previous experience of using the Nintendo RingFit.

Exclusion criteria

• had a severe musculoskeletal, cardiopulmonary or neurological condition that limited their participation in the exercise program or assessment;
• had a significant visual or hearing impairment that limited their ability to follow exercise instructions;
• scored 18 or below in the Montreal Cognitive Assessment Hong Kong version (HK-MoCA) 4; or
• participated in any structured exercise program in the past 6 months.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

---

43 participants in 2 patient groups

Nintendo RingFit exercise group

Experimental group

Description:

Participants in the Nintendo RingFit exercise group received an 8-week, twice-weekly exercise program focusing on improving balance and lower limb muscle strength using Nintendo RingFit device.

Treatment:

Other: Nintendo RingFit-augmented exercise program

Control group

No Intervention group

Description:

Usual care was received by the control group participants.