Abstract
Abusive use of video games is associated with negative health consequences, such as musculoskeletal problems, eye disease, or cognitive and emotional problems. In this sense, several studies have shown that an active lifestyle based on sport practice can generate positive health effects that discontinue the consequences of sedentary digital leisure. This descriptive and cross-sectional research was conducted on a sample of 490 university students. The main objective was to determine the relationship between problematic use of video games and motivational climate in sports, using as main instruments the CERV, CHCV, and PMCSQ-2 questionnaires. The results showed that those students who got a higher score on Task Climate and its categories were the participants who presented less pathological problems. By contrast, students who had potential or severe problems, as well as a medium level of use and attraction to video games, got a higher average in Ego Climate, Uneven Recognition, and Rivalry among Members. It is concluded that university students with achievement goals in sports that are oriented to Ego can show more problems associated with the use of video games, mainly because of its pursuit of extrinsic motivations like the feeling of victory, achievement of better performance in comparison with rivals or the quest for new challenges. Therefore, it is vital to promote a sport practice associated with intrinsic motivations in order to avoid sport abandonment and develop a more hedonistic practice to avert sedentary habits.
Keywords:
University; Video Games; Sport; Motivation