DSEP CONFERENCE
16-17 DECEMBER, 2013
AN EXPLORATION OF ATHLETES’
PERCEPTIONS AND EXPERIENCES OF
ACTIVE VIDEO GAMES IN RELATION TO
REHABILITATION FROM SPORTS INJURY
Andrew J. Manley, James Wallace
Leeds Metropolitan University, UK
Monna Arvinen-Barrow
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, USA
PRESENTATION
OVERVIEW
Existing evidence for “Wii-habilitation”
Aim of the present study
Method and Results
Conclusions, implications and future directions
DSEP CONFERENCE
16 DECEMBER, 2013
EXISTING EVIDENCE
FOR “WII-HABILITATION”
Some initial examination (mainly case studies) of Active
Video Games (AVGs) as a means of rehabilitation...
 Balance
 Lower-limb
muscle strength


Poor Control
High attrition
Nitz et al. (2010).
Climacteric, 13, 487-491.
DSEP CONFERENCE
16 DECEMBER, 2013
EXISTING EVIDENCE
FOR “WII-HABILITATION”
Some initial examination (mainly case studies) of Active
Video Games (AVGs) as a means of rehabilitation...


http://interactivemultimediatechnology.blogspot.co.u
k/2009/12/i-love-wii.html
Taylor et al. (2011). J. Rehab. Res. Dev., 48, 1171-1186.
DSEP CONFERENCE
16 DECEMBER, 2013
EXISTING EVIDENCE
FOR “WII-HABILITATION”
Some initial examination (mainly case studies) of Active
Video Games (AVGs) as a means of rehabilitation...
Traditional
Exercises
=
AVG
Exercises
Fung et al. (2012). Physiotherapy, 98, 183-188.
DSEP CONFERENCE
16 DECEMBER, 2013
“WII-HABILITATION”
FOR SPORTS INJURIES?
Very little research
to examine/evaluate
AVGs in facilitating
recovery from
musculoskeletal
injury (in spite of
high incidence rates)
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:US_Navy_090702-N-1783P003_Hospital_Corpsman_1st_Class_Guy_Duke,_left,_and_Electronics_Tech
nician_3rd_Class_Joshua_Benedict_demonstrate_how_the_Physical_therap
y_Department_at_Naval_Health_Clinic,_Charleston_use_the_Wii_Fit%26195;%26-173;s_yo.jpg
Butler & Willett (2010). Injury, 41, 883-885.
DSEP CONFERENCE
16 DECEMBER, 2013
http://rrward.deviantart.com/art/Mind-The-Gap-Logo-141711153
STUDY
AIM
Examine previously injured
athletes’ perceptions and
experiences of AVGs in relation to
rehabilitation from sports injury
DSEP CONFERENCE
16 DECEMBER, 2013
METHOD:
PARTICIPANTS
Previously injured athletes (N = 10; n male = 8, n female = 2)
— Participation levels ranged from
amateur/club (n = 8) to semiprofessional (n = 2)
— All had completed a formal programme
of sports injury rehabilitation within the
last two years (now fully recovered)
DSEP CONFERENCE
http://percyfan94.deviantart.com/art/Mr-Bump-162921128
— University undergraduate students (M
age = 20.23 years; SD = 1.86 years)
16 DECEMBER, 2013
METHOD:
RESEARCH DESIGN
“My previous
experience of
injury rehab.
was...”
Three-phase protocol:
— Phase 1: Semi-structured
interview #1 (28-47 mins)
— Phase 2:
Familiarisation/exploration of
Nintendo Wii-Fit Plus (~30 mins)
— Phase 3: Semi-structured
interview #2 (32-53 mins)
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“My perceptions
of AVGs for the
purposes of
injury rehab.
are...”
16 DECEMBER, 2013
METHOD:
DATA ANALYSIS
Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA)
— Ideographic, empathic, critical realist method
— “…seeking to understand people’s experience…at a
particular time in their life, in that social, cultural,
political and economic context.”
(Shaw, 2010, p. 178)
DSEP CONFERENCE
16 DECEMBER, 2013
“I thought they [AVGs]
were very stimulating
and enjoyable”
(Participant #4)
RESULTS:
EMERGENT THEMES
“I found the [traditional]
programme very
repetitive” (Participant #5)
“Yeah definitely… I
would have found it
[AVGs] really
useful…because it sets
challenges to complete
and I felt it would have
been beneficial to my
physiotherapy”
(Participant #10)
DSEP CONFERENCE
Emotional
Response
Sense of
Progression
Environment
“she (the Physiotherapist)
was putting the time in
with me to do it”
(Participant #4; Semi-pro)
“I don’t think using the Wii
would be particularly useful
to my rehabilitation
because although the
exercises where fun I didn’t
feel it was strenuous and
challenging” (Participant #8;
Semi-pro)
“I struggle to get
motivated at home, I
find that I have to go
to the gym...something
like this [AVGs] would
definitely have helped”
(Participant # 2)
16 DECEMBER, 2013
DISCUSSION:
CONCEPTUAL MODEL OF “WII-HABILITATION”?
Sense of progression
through improved/
expanded functionality
Positive emotional
response facilitates
adherence & learning
AVG environment
carefully designed with
injured athlete in mind
“Real World”
“Transfer Phase”
“Interaction
Space”
Adapted from Kizony et al.’s (2004)
Model for Virtual Reality in Rehabilitation
DSEP CONFERENCE
16 DECEMBER, 2013
CONCLUSIONS, IMPLICATIONS
AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS
Further support for AVGs as a potentially accessible and
cost-effective means of enhancing sports injury
rehabilitation programmes
Further research required to confirm the functionality of
commercially-available AVGs within the context of injury
rehabilitation
Implications for sports medicine and video game design
DSEP CONFERENCE
16 DECEMBER, 2013
A HUGE THANKS TO
ALL THE ATHLETES
WHO PARTICIPATED
IN THIS STUDY
ANY QUESTIONS?
A.J.Manley@leedsmet.ac.uk