Culture Enhancement for Exergames for Individuals with Intellectual Disability

Abstract

Background: Individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) often face barriers when trying to engage in physical activity. Exergames, which combine physical exercise with gaming technology, have shown the potential to promote physical activity among this group of individuals. However, the suitability of exergames for individuals with ID from different cultural backgrounds has received limited attention.

Objective: This project is aimed to investigate cultural aspects of exergames for individuals with ID. The main goals were to explore how cultural factors affect engagement and experience, pinpoint culturally suitable design elements, cre- ate guidelines for cultural sensitivity, and look at the effects of culture-enhanced exergames.

Methods: A mixed-methods approach was used. This was a literature review, interviews with individuals with ID from a different cultural background than Norway, expert consultations, and an iterative design process.

Results: The research showed a few cultural factors affecting the engagement and experience of individuals with ID in exergames, such as language prefer- ences and, specifically to one exergame, local waste sorting regularities. The evaluation of culture-enhanced exergames gave positive impacts on the users’ physical activity levels and overall well-being.

Conclusions: The project examines the impact of cultural variety in the design of exergames for individuals with ID. By addressing these factors, exergames can be made more engaging and accessible to more users in the world.