On-Site PhD conferral Gabrielle L. ten Velde

Keywords: moving, children, exergame

"PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND SEDENTARY TIME IN CHILDREN: Evaluation of daily life activity and effects of an exergame"

Exercise is very important for health, especially for children! This dissertation first investigated the current exercise behaviour of children. The majority of children do not meet the recommended exercise guidelines, which emphasizes the importance of exercise stimulation through an intervention that fits the interests of children. Today, the majority of children spend a large part of their time gaming, which opens up new opportunities to encourage exercise through exergaming.

BOOSTH is an exergame in which a pedometer is combined with an online game in the BOOSTH app. To progress a level in the online game, a child has to take steps. The effects of BOOSTH on exercise behaviour in primary school children has been investigated. In addition, an evaluation process was carried out among teachers, children and parents. Thanks to all the studies, this thesis can provide input for the development of future exergames and their implementation in primary schools.

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