Zan Gao, Ph.D.,  associate professor and director of the Physical Activity Epidemiology Laboratory (PAEL) in the School of Kinesiology, has published a research article titled “Effects of exergaming on motor skill competence, perceived competence, and physical activity in preschool children” as the first author in the Journal of Sport and Health Science (impact factor: 2.59). Co-authors include former advisees Nan Zeng, Ph.D., and Zachary Pope, Ph.D.

The findings suggest that:

• Exergaming has shown to have a positive effect in promoting preschool children’s moderate-to-vigorous physical activity at school
• Exergaming has the potential to enhance preschool children’s perceived competence and motor skill competence
• The preschool year is critical for children’s development of motor skill competence, as preschool children’s motor skill competence increased even after eight weeks
• Preschool boys demonstrated higher levels of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity than girls did at school