Cioffi, R., & Lubetzky, A. V. (2023). BOXVR Versus Guided YouTube Boxing for Stress, Anxiety, and Cognitive Performance in Adolescents: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial. Games for Health Journal, 12(3), 259.
Intervention Components (click on component to see a list of all articles that use that intervention): Comprehensive School-Based PA Program
Electronic PA
Assessment (patient/consumer)
Intervention Description: Participants in the BOXVR group engaged in exercise with a virtual reality game, while participants in the guided video group engaged in exercise with a guided workout video. Both interventions consisted of 5 exercise sessions per week, for a total of 15 exercise sessions over a 3-week period. Each exercise session was 10 minutes in length
Intervention Results: The BOXVR group showed a significant improvement in stress levels and performance on a cognitive task (TMT B) compared to the control and guided video groups. Adolescents who participated in BOXVR reported significantly higher levels of enjoyment than those who participated in traditional boxing with a guided video. The control group was the only group that showed a significant reduction in anxiety, but this could be interpreted as possible changes in behavior simply due to being enrolled in a research study and asked about anxiety status. The study suggests that engagement and enjoyment in a 'play' setting may contribute to mental aspects of health in the short-term more than the level of effort
Conclusion: The study suggests that chronic exercise with a VR game may be an effective tool for reducing stress and improving cognitive performance in adolescents. The findings also highlight the importance of engagement and enjoyment in exercise programs for mental health benefits. Future studies should investigate what aspects of gaming in VR contribute the most to stress reduction and cognitive performance
Study Design: The study design is a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial
Setting: The setting for the study was a public high school in suburban New York, and the study was conducted during the summer of 2021
Population of Focus: The target audience for the study was healthy high school students between the ages of 14 and 18 who were able to participate in physical activity of at least moderate intensity
Sample Size: The sample size for the study was 42 participants, who were randomized into one of three cohorts: a BOXVR group, a guided video group, or a nonintervention control group
Age Range: The age range of the participants was between 14 and 18 years old
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