Results
Initial observation of "A+Games" on physical ability and activity level of primary school students in Hong Kong
A total of 119 primary school students participated in this study, with an average age of 7.4 years. The research team assessed their body shape, physical fitness and activity level. In the maximum heart rate shuttle test ( Yo-Yo test) at the first test , the participants' maximum heart rate during exercise reached 168.7 ± 26.3 bpm, close to 80% of their maximum heart rate. According to the guidelines of the World Health Organization, school-age children should perform at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA) every day. However, all participants in this study failed to meet this standard. On average, participants only performed adequate activity for 34.6 ± 19.5 minutes per day. In general, participants were more active on weekends than on weekdays when they were in school (Monday to Friday).
Participants spent most of their time (about 19 hours) each day in sedentary activities such as sitting and lying down. With an average sleep duration of 7.9 hours per night, it can be expected that participants spent about 11 hours per day sitting while performing daily tasks.
The data showed that participants showed high levels of intrinsic motivation, followed by identity regulation, internalization regulation, and extrinsic motivation. The data showed that primary school students relied more on intrinsic motivation than extrinsic motivation when participating in sports. Their basic psychological needs in sports and physical activities were highly satisfied, and all three psychological needs were moderately correlated with their motivation. However, although parental support for their own autonomy was related to the three basic psychological needs, it did not have any direct relationship with any type of motivation.
Results of a randomized controlled study of the online activity "A+Games" on children's home exercise
All participants completed fitness tests at three time points. Their performance was stable in the strength and cardiovascular fitness tests. However, especially in the Yo-Yo test at T2, their total running distance increased significantly at T2 compared to T1, and they were able to adapt to higher exercise intensity, with an average exercise heart rate of more than 85%. Overall, participants performed better at T2 and T3 than at T1.
In addition, 85% of participants completed the 7-day life record items. Participants generally spent more time doing light physical activity, and this change may be related to the increase in step count. Given that participants had less than 30 minutes of active time per day, it is recommended to implement strategies to increase children's moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) to ensure that they meet daily activity guidelines.
The study showed that the HAC-Q and HAC groups had better improvements in moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) than other groups. The average HAC-Q increased MVPA time by about 7 minutes per day, while the HAC group increased it by about 6 minutes. In contrast, the control group's activity time decreased by about 8 minutes of MVPA time after 8 weeks (T2), and this downward trend continued to the third stage (T3), with a difference of about 14 minutes less than the baseline (T1).
In addition, there were significant changes in the children's intrinsic motivation and sense of autonomy. All groups that received online information (i.e., HAC-Q: home activity choice + coaching cues, HAC: with home activity choice, and Q: with coaching cues) were able to maintain high intrinsic motivation throughout the 16-week study, while the children in the control group showed a downward change. Although the decline in the second stage was not too obvious, by the third stage, the decline became significantly greater. When the children's families did not receive relevant information, the intrinsic motivation of the relevant children for participating in sports activities was significantly reduced, which is similar to the results of other similar studies in the past. It is particularly noteworthy that only those children whose parents received guidance suggestions (Q: with coaching cues) showed a trend of increased autonomy, which was not found in the other groups.