http://active.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/ddr.jpgFollowing last year's decision to bring Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) to schools in West Virginia, Konami enlisted the help of West Virginia University and the West Virginia Public Employees Insurance Agency to conduct a study on the benefits of playing DDR. Businessweek recently reported that the research, which primarily involved the children of PEIA policy holders, revealed that "consistent use" of the dancing game "improved the health, attitudes and behaviors of participating children."
The at-home clinical study looked at a 24-week period and required that participants play DDR five days per week for at least 30 minutes and record their activity. At the same time, WVU monitored health indicators throughout the period, including weight, blood pressure, body mass index, arterial function, fitness levels and attitudes towards exercise.