Health study in e-sports athletes among high school students

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K10470
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 58030:Hygiene and public health-related: excluding laboratory approach
• Research Institution: Okayama University
• Principal Investigator: Kanda Hideyuki 岡山大学, 医歯薬学域, 教授 (80294370)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 宮崎 亮 島根大学, 学術研究院人間科学系, 准教授 (20531908) ; 絹田 皆子 岡山大学, 医歯薬学域, 助教 (20895297) ; 久松 隆史 岡山大学, 医歯薬学域, 准教授 (60710449) ; 津村 秀樹 徳島大学, 大学院社会産業理工学研究部(社会総合科学域), 准教授 (70636836) ; 福田 茉莉 岡山大学, 医歯薬学域, 助教 (70706663)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: eスポーツ / 高校生 / 健康実態

Outline of Final Research Achievements

e-sports is globally expanding among young people. This study aims to clarify both physical and mental health among high school e-sports athletes compareing with ordinaly students attending the same high school.The valid subjects were 180 male students who belonged to a high school with an e-sports club. They were classified into three groups: 66 were e-sports club members, 84 were with club participation other than e-sports clubs, and 30 were without club participation. They were asked gaming time and physical activity etc. and measured body mass index and grip strength.
We found that high school e-sports athletes tended to play games for longer time, have lower physical activity, weaker grip strength, and a higher percentage of thinness and obesity.

Free Research Field

公衆衛生学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

eスポーツは若者の中心に世界規模で広がりをみせている一方で、国際疾病分類（ICD-11）ではゲーム障害が依存症・行動嗜癖の新たな疾病概念となった。心身の発達段階にある高校生では、身体的・精神的な健康影響が懸念されている。本成果は、高校生eスポーツアスリートにおいて、初めて心身の健康実態を明らかにした。今後のeスポーツ競技人口の急増に合わせ、健康管理の視点から重要な学術的・社会的意義を示していると考えられる。