Authors (including presenting author) :
Sze CY, Lin HC, Lee HS, Hui N
Affiliation :
Occupational Therapy Department, United Christian Hospital
Keyword 3: :
medical and geriatric (M&G)
Keyword 4: :
rehabilitation ward in-patient study
Keyword 5: :
randomized controlled trial (RCT)
Introduction :
Sarcopenia, characterized by the progressive loss of muscle mass with aging, is linked with increased fall risk and longer hospital stay. Exergaming technology has emerged as a promising strategy for early management of sarcopenia. This study involved a five-session randomized controlled trial (RCT) exergaming program for elderly in the medical and geriatric (M&G) rehabilitation ward of United Christian Hospital.
Objectives :
To investigate the effectiveness of exergaming Nintendo Switch Ring Fit Adventure (RFA)in enhancing functional performance and quality of life (QOL) for elderly patients with “possible sarcopenia”.
Methodology :
The RCT was conducted from August to December 2025, recruiting 18 patients from the M&G rehabilitation ward (mean age = 81.3 for exergaming and 78.8 for control group, 9 male and 7 female in total). All participants met the inclusion criteria: 1) age > 60; 2) Handgrip strength < 28 kg for male and < 18 kg for female; 3) SARC-F score ≥ 4; as per the 2019 update from Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia. Exclusion criteria included history of CVA, cardiac conditions, visual deficits and unmanaged hypertension. 9 participants were randomly assigned to the exergame group engaging in RFA alongside conventional resistance training. Another 9 participants were allocated to the control group receiving conventional resistance training, such as upper limb and lower limb strengthening with sandbag; theratrainer. Each participant underwent five 45-minutes training sessions, with the exergaming group incorporating skillsets of Torso twist, Front press, Overhead press, Bow pull, Stepping and Knee lifting from RFA. Two exergaming group participants dropped out due to acute medical conditions.
Outcome measures included Power grip strength, SARC-F, Modified Barthel index (MBI), Fall Efficacy Scale (FES) and Sarcopenia Quality of Life questionnaire (SARQOL). Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test and Mann-Whitney U Test were used for within-group pre-post difference and between-group comparisons respectively.
Result & Outcome :
No outcome measures showed significant between-group difference at baseline. Statistically significant improvement was noted in SARC-F (p=0.011) and MBI (p=0.016) in the exergame group compared to the control, with marked improvement in functional tasks independence. More than 70% of participants in the exergame group reported positive changes in QOL post training, as manifested by reduced feeling of being old and weak, increasing participation in leisure and physical activities, although not reaching statistical significant improvement compared to the control group. Other measures exhibited positive trends favoring exergaming, with FES demonstrating a near-moderate effect size. Study limitations included sample size and restricted hospital length of stay, potentially affecting the extent of functional and QOL improvement. Future research with larger sample size and longitudinal design is recommended.
