Mentor Name
Dr Somi Shin
Course Title
Introduction to Research Methods
Course Number
RSCH 202
Submitting Campus
Worldwide
Student Status
Undergraduate
Project Abstract
This paper examines the relationship between playing various gaming genres and its effect on obesity. While previous studies have generally associated gaming with obesity, some have highlighted that certain game genres, exergames, require gamers to be physically active to play the game, leading to a reduction in gamers’ weight. To study this relationship, we conducted a survey and analyzed the collected data using ANOVA and Regression Analysis. Our preliminary findings from one-way ANOVA and two-way ANOVA with interaction, indicates significant association between game genre and engagement per session with BMI. The interaction between them suggests that the effect of game genre on BMI is dependent on the engagement per session, as the p-value of 6.54e-10 is less than the 5% significance level. Our regression results suggest that some game genres, such as Action and Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA), had a significant impact on obesity. However, first-person, puzzle/casual and simulation/sports games were not significantly associated with BMI. Our regression models also found that higher engagement in gaming per week and session correlates with a higher BMI. Our findings may offer game developers to collaborate with field experts, leading to evidence-based interventions that mitigate obesity risks and promote healthier gaming practices across game genres.
