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      Modification in the Motor Skills of Seniors in Care Homes Using Serious Games and the Impact of COVID-19: Field Study

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          Abstract

          Background

          The pandemic has highlighted the importance of low-threshold opportunities for exercise and physical activity. At the beginning of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic led to many restrictions, which affected seniors in care facilities in the form of severe isolation. The isolation led, among other things, to a lack of exercise, which has led to a multitude of negative effects for this target group. Serious games can potentially help by being used anywhere at any time to strengthen skills with few resources.

          Objective

          The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a serious game to strengthen motor skills (study 1) and the influence of pandemic restrictions (study 2) on seniors in care facilities.

          Methods

          The data on motor skills (measured by the Tinetti test) originated from an intervention study with repeated measurements that was interrupted by the pandemic conditions. Data were collected 4 times every 3 months with an intervention group (IG, training 3 times for 1 hour per week) and a control group (CG, no intervention). There were 2 substudies. The first considered the first 6 months until the pandemic restrictions, while the second considered the influence of the restrictions on motor skills.

          Results

          The sample size was 70. The IG comprised 31 (44%) participants, with 22 (71%) female and 9 (29%) male seniors with an average age of 85 years. The CG comprised 39 (56%) participants, with 31 (79%) female and 8 (21%) male seniors with an average age of 87 years. In study 1, mixed-design ANOVA showed no significant interaction between measurement times and group membership for the first measurements ( F 2.136=1.414, P<.25, partial η2=.044), but there was a significant difference between the CG (mean 16.23, SD 1.1) and the IG (mean 19.81, SD 1.2) at the third time of measurement ( P=.02). In study 2 the mixed-design ANOVA (used to investigate motor skills before and after the pandemic conditions between the 2 groups) couldn’t reveal any significant interaction between measurement times and group membership: F 1.67=2.997, P<.09, partial η2=.043. However, there was a significant main effect of the time of measurement: F 1.67=5.44, P<.02, partial η²=.075.

          Conclusions

          During the first 6 months, the IG showed increased motor skills, whereas the motor skills of the CG slightly deteriorated and showed a statistically significant difference after 6 months. The pandemic restrictions leveled the difference and showed a significant negative effect on motor skills over 3 months. As our results show, digital games have the potential to break down access barriers and promote necessary maintenance for important skills. The pandemic has highlighted the importance of low-threshold opportunities for exercise and physical activity. This potentially great benefit for the challenges of tomorrow shows the relevance of the topic and demonstrates the urgent need for action and research.

          Trial Registration

          Deutsches Register klinischer Studien DRKS00016633; https://tinyurl.com/yckmj4px

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          Most cited references68

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          The psychological impact of quarantine and how to reduce it: rapid review of the evidence

          Summary The December, 2019 coronavirus disease outbreak has seen many countries ask people who have potentially come into contact with the infection to isolate themselves at home or in a dedicated quarantine facility. Decisions on how to apply quarantine should be based on the best available evidence. We did a Review of the psychological impact of quarantine using three electronic databases. Of 3166 papers found, 24 are included in this Review. Most reviewed studies reported negative psychological effects including post-traumatic stress symptoms, confusion, and anger. Stressors included longer quarantine duration, infection fears, frustration, boredom, inadequate supplies, inadequate information, financial loss, and stigma. Some researchers have suggested long-lasting effects. In situations where quarantine is deemed necessary, officials should quarantine individuals for no longer than required, provide clear rationale for quarantine and information about protocols, and ensure sufficient supplies are provided. Appeals to altruism by reminding the public about the benefits of quarantine to wider society can be favourable.
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            Immediate Psychological Responses and Associated Factors during the Initial Stage of the 2019 Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Epidemic among the General Population in China

            Background: The 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) epidemic is a public health emergency of international concern and poses a challenge to psychological resilience. Research data are needed to develop evidence-driven strategies to reduce adverse psychological impacts and psychiatric symptoms during the epidemic. The aim of this study was to survey the general public in China to better understand their levels of psychological impact, anxiety, depression, and stress during the initial stage of the COVID-19 outbreak. The data will be used for future reference. Methods: From 31 January to 2 February 2020, we conducted an online survey using snowball sampling techniques. The online survey collected information on demographic data, physical symptoms in the past 14 days, contact history with COVID-19, knowledge and concerns about COVID-19, precautionary measures against COVID-19, and additional information required with respect to COVID-19. Psychological impact was assessed by the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R), and mental health status was assessed by the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21). Results: This study included 1210 respondents from 194 cities in China. In total, 53.8% of respondents rated the psychological impact of the outbreak as moderate or severe; 16.5% reported moderate to severe depressive symptoms; 28.8% reported moderate to severe anxiety symptoms; and 8.1% reported moderate to severe stress levels. Most respondents spent 20–24 h per day at home (84.7%); were worried about their family members contracting COVID-19 (75.2%); and were satisfied with the amount of health information available (75.1%). Female gender, student status, specific physical symptoms (e.g., myalgia, dizziness, coryza), and poor self-rated health status were significantly associated with a greater psychological impact of the outbreak and higher levels of stress, anxiety, and depression (p < 0.05). Specific up-to-date and accurate health information (e.g., treatment, local outbreak situation) and particular precautionary measures (e.g., hand hygiene, wearing a mask) were associated with a lower psychological impact of the outbreak and lower levels of stress, anxiety, and depression (p < 0.05). Conclusions: During the initial phase of the COVID-19 outbreak in China, more than half of the respondents rated the psychological impact as moderate-to-severe, and about one-third reported moderate-to-severe anxiety. Our findings identify factors associated with a lower level of psychological impact and better mental health status that can be used to formulate psychological interventions to improve the mental health of vulnerable groups during the COVID-19 epidemic.
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              Factors Associated With Mental Health Outcomes Among Health Care Workers Exposed to Coronavirus Disease 2019

              Key Points Question What factors are associated with mental health outcomes among health care workers in China who are treating patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)? Findings In this cross-sectional study of 1257 health care workers in 34 hospitals equipped with fever clinics or wards for patients with COVID-19 in multiple regions of China, a considerable proportion of health care workers reported experiencing symptoms of depression, anxiety, insomnia, and distress, especially women, nurses, those in Wuhan, and front-line health care workers directly engaged in diagnosing, treating, or providing nursing care to patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19. Meaning These findings suggest that, among Chinese health care workers exposed to COVID-19, women, nurses, those in Wuhan, and front-line health care workers have a high risk of developing unfavorable mental health outcomes and may need psychological support or interventions.
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                Author and article information

                Contributors
                Journal
                JMIR Serious Games
                JMIR Serious Games
                JSG
                JMIR Serious Games
                JMIR Publications (Toronto, Canada )
                2291-9279
                Apr-Jun 2022
                10 May 2022
                10 May 2022
                : 10
                : 2
                : e36768
                Affiliations
                [1 ] Institute of Psychology Faculty of Human Sciences Humboldt-University of Berlin Berlin Germany
                [2 ] Department of Science All About Me GmbH Berlin Germany
                [3 ] Department of Quantitative Research Methods Alice-Salomon University of Berlin Berlin Germany
                Author notes
                Corresponding Author: Jana Marina Kleschnitzki janakleschnitzki@ 123456posteo.de
                Author information
                https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6681-454X
                https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6755-3425
                https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4840-4699
                https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8037-420X
                Article
                v10i2e36768
                10.2196/36768
                9094716
                35536610
                191d00e9-bb6e-440b-bff6-3421ad5a8bc6
                ©Jana Marina Kleschnitzki, Inga Grossmann, Reinhard Beyer, Luzi Beyer. Originally published in JMIR Serious Games (https://games.jmir.org), 10.05.2022.

                This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work, first published in JMIR Serious Games, is properly cited. The complete bibliographic information, a link to the original publication on https://games.jmir.org, as well as this copyright and license information must be included.

                History
                : 2 February 2022
                : 11 March 2022
                : 29 March 2022
                : 7 April 2022
                Categories
                Original Paper
                Original Paper

                serious games,motor skills,motor,long-term care,exercise,movement,coronavirus effects,ehealth,seniors,older adult,elder,senior population,aged,care home,intervention effects analysis,covid-19,pandemic,digital game,digital health,physical activity

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