Interactive video games can cause injuries

SYDNEY - Interactive gaming devices can cause injuries ranging from abrasions and sprains to shoulder, ankle and foot injuries.

“This study details the different injuries sustained while participating in interactive and traditional video games,” said study leader Patrick O’Toole of the American Academy of Paediatrics.

“Younger children under the age of 10 should be supervised while video games are being played to prevent bystander injuries, which are more common with interactive games,” he added.

While Nintendo Wii are tremendously popular, they differ from traditional video games requiring participants to physically mime the movements of a particular sport or activity while competing against a real or computer-generated competitor.

With the increased physical movement and interaction, researchers sought to determine what types of injuries were sustained from such interactive devices, said a release of the American Academy of Paediatrics.

They reviewed National Electronic Injury Surveillance System data on video game-related injuries, sustained by people of all ages, between Jan 1, 2004 and Jan 1, 2009.

A total of 696 video game-related injuries were reported over the five-year period. The mean age of those injured was 16.5 years.

There were 604 injuries resulting from traditional games with 92 injuries from the newer interactive games. Of the interactive game injuries, 49 were sustained by males (53.3 percent) and 43 by females (46.7 percent).

When compared to the traditional video game group, participants in the interactive group were significantly more likely to injure their shoulder, ankle, and foot.

These findings were presented Monday at the American Academy of Paediatrics National Conference and Exhibition in San Francisco, US.