Using Xbox 360 Kinect Games on Enhancing Visual Performance Skills on Institutionalized Older Adults with Wheelchairs

The purpose of this study was to explore health benefits in somatosensory video games, Xbox 360 Kinect, on institutionalized older adults with wheelchairs. A total of 53 participants were recruited and divided into an experimental group (n = 22, 78.55 ± 6.70 years old) and a control group (n = 31, 79.97 ± 7.00 years old). The experimental group voluntarily agreed to complete Xbox 360 Kinect trainings three times per week, for 30 minute each session. The Vienna Test System and the Soda Pop test were used to measure the simple reaction and the eye-hand coordination of their visual performance skills. A Mann-Whitney nonparametric test for two independent samples was used to evaluate training effects. Results showed that the interventions significantly improved their visual performance skills and the elderly in the experimental group improved significantly on the reaction test (p <; 0.001) and eye-hand coordination (p <; 0.001). The study concluded that Xbox 360 Kinect is a potential tool to improve visual performance skills for the institutionalized elderly with wheelchairs.