Key Findings
A study at UNH suggests that college men who play video games have lower levels of exercise and poorer eating habits compared to non-gamers. As video games are a risk factor for unhealthy lifestyle habits that could have long-term impacts on health, this research can improve the education of college students who play video games regarding exercise and diet.
About the CO-Author
Jesse Stabile Morrell, Principle Lecturer and Associate Chair of Agriculture, Nutrition, and Food Systems
Contact information: Jesse.Morrell@UNH.edu, 603-862-2547, UNH FindScholars page
This research first published in Current Developments in Nutrition.
Researchers: D. Moore and J. Morrell
Results from a study conducted by researchers at the University of New Hampshire suggest that college men who play video games tend to exercise less and have poorer eating habits compared to non-gamers. This study, led by nutritional sciences graduate student Dustin Moore, is one of the first to examine the association between video game use and health in college students, and could help colleges and universities more effectively educate students who play video games about diet and exercise.
“If the findings of our study are indicative of general population, increases in video game usage could translate to increases in overweight/obesity and chronic disease in the general population, which is already a big issue.”
Moore highlights the importance of understanding that video games are a risk factor for poor lifestyle habits that may contribute to poor health, and emphasizes that habits developed in adolescence and early adulthood can stick with people for the rest of their lives. Moore presented the research during the NUTRITION 2020 LIVE ONLINE virtual conference hosted by the American Society for Nutrition (ASN).
The study used information collected from over 1,000 male college students aged 18 to 24 at UNH as a part of the ongoing College Health and Nutrition Assessment Survey (CHANAS) study directed by principal lecturer and research leader Jesse Stabile Morrell. The survey revealed that just over 40 percent of college men play video games at least five hours per week. The researchers found that those who played video games consumed more saturated fat and sodium than non-users, which suggests they are eating more salty snacks. Gamers also consumed fewer fruits and vegetables and engaged in less physical activity than non-users.
The researchers did not observe any differences in weight for video gamers, but note that the poor lifestyle habits observed could contribute to excess weight gain and chronic disease later in life. According to Moore, "If the findings of our study are indicative of general population, increases in video game usage could translate to increases in overweight/obesity and chronic disease in the general population, which is already a big issue." The researchers say that more studies are needed to better understand how various factors, such as video game advertisements or the gaming media used, contributed to the findings. Following up with participants later in life would also reveal whether their habits and body weights changed as they get older.
This study was funded by The New Hampshire Agriculture Experiment Station and the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture Hatch Project.
