title: "Dance Dance Revolution" Used by 7- and 8-Year-Olds to Boost Physical Activity: Is Coaching Necessary for Adherence to an Exercise Prescription?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To increase opportunities for physical activity (PA) for children in children's homes, we used a "Dance Dance Revolution" (DDR) (Konami of America, Redwood City, CA) coaching protocol for 7- and 8-year-olds.
  
  
  METHODS
  We randomly assigned youth to either an Enhanced (coaching) or Basic (no coaching) group. A DDR prescription of 120 minutes/week was provided to 40 children. Motor learning principles guided the coaching protocol, provided by adult graduate students, which took place weekly during weeks 1-5. PA was measured with accelerometry, DDR logs, and Sony (New York, NY) Playstation(®)2 memory cards at baseline and at week 10.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Total accelerometer-measured PA was not significantly different between the groups at baseline or week 10; however, vigorous PA increased significantly in both groups at week 10. DDR logs showed a large range from 0 to 660 minutes/week of dance time. Respective playing time for each week (1 and 10) averaged 149 and 64 minutes for the Basic group and 184 and 47 minutes for the Enhanced group. Coaching significantly increased DDR use patterns in this population of youngsters during weeks 1 through 5 (P<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Adult coaching deserves further study to determine how to maintain high levels of participation in exergames for youth who live in an obesogenic environment.
authors.affiliation: 1 Division of Physical Therapy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill , Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
authors.forename: Sadye Paez
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Errickson
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School , Worcester, Massachusetts; and Maine Medical Center, Portland, Maine.
authors.forename: Ann E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Maloney
authors.affiliation: 1 Division of Physical Therapy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill , Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Thorpe
authors.affiliation: 1 Division of Physical Therapy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill , Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
authors.forename: Carol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Giuliani
authors.affiliation: 1 Division of Physical Therapy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill , Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
authors.forename: Angela M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Rosenberg