THE EFFECTS OF VIRTUAL REALITY TRAINING ON BALANCE AND SPEED-AGILITY IN OBESE CHILDREN: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of the study was to examine the effects of virtual reality training on balance and speed-agility in obese children. Methods: The study included 34 obese children at the ages of 9-11. Participants were divided into training and control groups using the simple randomization method. The participants in the intervention group (n=17) were taken into virtual reality training for 6 weeks. No treatment was applied on the control group (n=17). Balance was assessed by the Flamingo and Y balance tests. Speed-agility was assessed by the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency-Brief Form-speed-agility sub-test. The physical activity enjoyment levels of the children in intervention group were assessed by the Short Form-Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale. Results: Before the study, the groups were similar in terms of the investigated variables (p>0.05). Speed-agility scores and Y balance test anterior, posterior-lateral and mixed reaching distances of the children in intervention group significantly increased after the training in comparison to their pre-training results (p<0.05). While the Flamingo balance test results significantly increased from pretraining to post-training (p=0.001), considering along with the 95% CI, the increase was found to be insignificant (-0.42—7.42). In intervention group, except for the Y balance test anterior and posteriormedial reaching distances, static and dynamic balance and speed-agility clinical effects were large (r≥0.5). All participants in intervention group stated that they enjoyed virtual reality training to the highest degree (95% CI:25.0 —25.0). Conclusion: Virtual reality training in obese children is effective in improvement of balance and speedagility, and it is an enjoyable option of physical activity. The large randomized controlled studies with long-term trainings and follow-up are recommended.

Keywords

• postural balance
• child
• obesity
• therapeutics
• virtual reality

SANAL GERÇEKLİK EĞİTİMİNİN OBEZ ÇOCUKLARDA DENGE VE HIZ-ÇEVİKLİK ÜZERİNDEKİ ETKİLERİ: RANDOMİZE KONTROLLÜ ÇALIŞMA

Öz

Amaç: Çalışmanın amacı, obez çocuklarda sanal gerçeklik eğitiminin denge ve hız-çeviklik üzerindeki etkilerini incelemektir. Yöntemler: Çalışmaya 9-11 yaşlarında 34 obez çocuk dahil edildi. Katılımcılar basit randomizasyon yöntemi ile eğitim ve kontrol grubuna ayrıldı. Eğitim grubundaki katılımcılar (n=17) 6 hafta boyunca sanal gerçeklik eğitimine alındı. Kontrol grubuna (n=17) herhangi bir tedavi uygulanmadı. Denge, Flamingo ve Y denge testleri ile değerlendirildi. Hız-çeviklik Bruininks-Oseretsky Motor Yeterlilik TestiKısa Form-hız çeviklik alt testi ile değerlendirildi. Eğitim grubundaki çocukların fiziksel aktiviteden keyif alma düzeyleri Kısa Form-Fiziksel Aktiviteden Keyif Alma Ölçeği ile değerlendirildi. Bulgular: Çalışma öncesinde, gruplar incelenen değişkenler açısından benzerdi (p>0,05). Eğitim grubundaki çocukların sürat-çeviklik skorları ve Y denge testi ön, arka-yan ve karışık uzanma mesafeleri eğitim sonrasında eğitim öncesine göre anlamlı olarak arttı (p<0,05). Flamingo denge testi sonuçları eğitim öncesinden eğitim sonrasına anlamlı olarak artarken (p=0,001), %95 GA ile birlikte değerlendirildiğinde artışın önemsiz olduğu görüldü (-0,42-7,42). Eğitim grubunda, Y denge testi anterior ve posterior-medial uzanma mesafeleri dışında, statik ve dinamik denge ve hız-çeviklik klinik etkileri büyüktü (r≥0,5). Eğitim grubundaki tüm katılımcılar sanal gerçeklik eğitiminden en yüksek derecede keyif aldıklarını belirtti. (%95 CI:25,0 -25,0). Sonuç: Obez çocuklarda sanal gerçeklik eğitimi denge ve hız-çeviklik gelişiminde etkilidir ve fiziksel aktivite için eğlenceli bir seçenektir. Uzun süreli eğitim ve takip içeren geniş randomize kontrollü çalışmalar önerilmektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• ÇOCUK
• postural denge
• terapötik
• obezite
• sanal gerçeklik

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