Refereed journal article or data article (A1)
Investigating the Finnish Elderly People’s Attitudes and Motivation towards Digital Game-Based Physical Exercises
List of Authors: Aung Pyae, Tapani N. Liukkonen, Luimula Mika, Christina Kattimeri, Veroline Cauberghe, Jouni Smed
Publisher: Finnish Social and Health Informatics Association
Publication year: 2017
Journal: Finnish Journal of eHealth and eWelfare
Journal acronym: Finjehew
Volume number: 9
Issue number: 4
Start page: 265
End page: 283
Number of pages: 19
eISSN: 1798-0798
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.23996/fjhw.60518
URL: https://journal.fi/finjehew/article/view/60518
Attitudes and motivation towards physical exercises play a vital role
for elderly people’s adherence to exercise. In recent years, digital
games have been used to enhance elderly people’s experiences in physical
exercises. However, there is a limited number of studies regarding
elderly people’s attitudes and motivation towards digital game-based
exercises. In this study, we aim at investigating the Finnish elderly
people’s attitudes towards physical and digital game-based exercises, as
well as their motivation in the gameplay. Furthermore, we intend to
investigate if digital games can be an alternative way of exercising for
elderly people. We conducted a user experience test of the “Skiing Game”
with 21 elderly participants in Finland. We applied both qualitative
(e.g. interview) and quantitative (e.g. questionnaires) methods to
collect data from the participants. Then, we analyzed the data by using
SPSS and Nvivo. The findings show that the Finnish elderly people’s
attitudes towards physical exercises are more positive than digital
game-based exercises. However, their attitudes towards digital games
have become more positive after the gameplay. Their in-game and
post-game user experiences were moderately positive. Their motivation to
play digital game-based exercises was moderately high after the
gameplay. Their feedback towards the Skiing game was positive. They
recommend that digital game-based exercises can be an effective way of
exercising. Based on these findings, we recommend that digital games are
promising to be used as an alternative way of exercising for the
Finnish elderly people. The discussion in this study can help
researchers gain insights about using digital games for promoting
elderly people’s participation in physical exercises.