{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,20]],"date-time":"2026-10-20T16:49:50Z","timestamp":1792514990535,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":57,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,7]],"date-time":"2026-09-07T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1788739200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Public Health"],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Older adults with chronic diseases often experience impaired balance and functional performance, increasing their risk of falls and disability. Exergaming has emerged as a promising intervention; however, its effectiveness in community-dwelling older adults with chronic conditions remains unclear.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Objective<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>To systematically review and meta-analyze the effects of exergaming on balance and functional performance in community-dwelling older adults with chronic diseases.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Following PRISMA guidelines, PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Scopus, and CINAHL were searched from inception to April 10, 2026. Randomized controlled trials involving exergaming interventions in adults aged \u226560\u202fyears with chronic conditions were included. Primary outcomes were balance and functional mobility. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2 tool. Pooled effects were calculated using mean differences (MDs) or standardized mean differences (SMD) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) according to outcome measurement scales.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      Eleven randomized controlled trials were included. Compared with control interventions, exergaming significantly improved balance measured by the Berg Balance Scale (MD\u202f=\u202f2.93, 95% CI 0.44\u20135.41,\n                      <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u202f=\u202f0.021) and dynamic gait ability measured by the Dynamic Gait Index (MD\u202f=\u202f0.72, 95% CI 0.09\u20131.35,\n                      <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u202f=\u202f0.025). Subgroup analyses indicated greater benefits for interventions lasting at least 8\u202fweeks and those involving supervised training. Heterogeneity was low to moderate.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Exergaming may be a promising adjunctive approach for improving balance and functional performance in community-dwelling older adults with chronic diseases. Further high-quality trials with larger sample sizes and long-term follow-up are needed.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Systematic review registration<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>PROSPERO registration number: CRD420261368359.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2026.1918722","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,7]],"date-time":"2026-09-07T13:29:38Z","timestamp":1788787778000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Effects of exergaming on balance and functional performance in older adults with chronic conditions living in the community: a systematic review and meta-analysis"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"14","author":[{"given":"Beihai","family":"Ge","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Rugao People\u2019s Hospital Affiliated to Kangda College of Nanjing Medical University","place":["Nantong, Jiangsu, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jinsong","family":"Luo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Wuchang University of Technology","place":["Wuhan, Hubei, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Xiaofeng","family":"Cheng","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Infectious Diseases, Shangyu People's Hospital of Shaoxing, Shaoxing University","place":["Shaoxing, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Deng","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Physical Education, Guangzhou University of Sport","place":["Guangzhou, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Renming","family":"Liu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Neuromodulation Research Unit, Department of Physiotherapy, School of Primary and Allied Health Care, Monash University","place":["Melbourne, VIC, Australia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Xianhui","family":"Liao","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of physiotherapy, School of Primary and Allied Health Care, Monash University","place":["Melbourne, VIC, Australia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,7]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"549","DOI":"10.1016\/s0140-6736(14)61347-7","article-title":"The burden of disease in older people and implications for health policy and practice","volume":"385","author":"Prince","year":"2015","journal-title":"Lancet"},{"key":"ref2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2145","DOI":"10.1016\/s0140-6736(15)00516-4","article-title":"The world report on ageing and health: a policy framework for healthy ageing","volume":"387","author":"Beard","year":"2016","journal-title":"Lancet"},{"key":"ref3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"51","DOI":"10.1016\/j.maturitas.2013.02.009","article-title":"Risk factors for falls among older adults: a review of the literature","volume":"75","author":"Ambrose","year":"2013","journal-title":"Maturitas"},{"key":"ref4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"258","DOI":"10.1001\/jama.2009.2024","article-title":"The patient who falls: \"it's always a trade-off\"","volume":"303","author":"Tinetti","year":"2010","journal-title":"JAMA"},{"key":"ref5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"99","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jsr.2016.05.001","article-title":"The direct costs of fatal and non-fatal falls among older adults - 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