Background: Promoting COVID-19 prevention is key to pandemic control and innovative interventions can help communicate reliable science to the public. Under the Hong Kong Jockey Club SMART Family-Link Project, we developed and evaluated a pilot intervention for promoting COVID-19 prevention through a web-based family game, guided by the Theory of Planned Behavior and a strength-based approach. Methods: The "SMART Epidemic prevention" pilot theme was launched to the public on September 21, 2020 for 4 weeks. The game had two parts: (i) strength recognition and (ii) quiz questions on knowledge and behaviors about COVID-19 prevention. Simple baseline, in-game, and postgame evaluation assessed players' perceived knowledge, behaviors, family well-being, game satisfaction, and perceived benefits. Results: Of 86 registered families, 55 played actively, including 212 players (51% female, 35% aged below 18) who self-identified as children (44%), parents (39%), and grandparents (11%). In weeks 1 and 4, an average of 7 and 18 game rounds were played per family, and 86.6% and 75.9% of rounds had perfect (2) behavior matches. Postgame evaluation with 51 families showed improvements in epidemic prevention knowledge and behaviors, family communication, family happiness (all P < 0.001), and family relationship (P = 0.002) with small effect sizes (0.15-0.29). Overall game satisfaction was rated 4.49 (scale of 1-5). Ninety-four percent of families shared knowledge from the game with others. Conclusions: Our pilot web-based family game first showed preliminary evidence on enhancing COVID-19 prevention knowledge and behaviors, and family well-being, with participants recognizing family strengths, reporting high satisfaction and various perceived benefits, and showing sustained gameplay. Trial Registration: The research protocol was registered at the National Institutes of Health (Identifier No. NCT04550065) on September 16, 2020.
{"title":"Gamified Strength Recognition and Quiz to Enhance COVID-19 Prevention, Knowledge, Behaviors, and Family Well-Being.","authors":"Shirley Man-Man Sit, Agnes Yuen-Kwan Lai, Hoi-Wa Wong, Ka-Shun Hung, Man-Ping Wang, Sai-Yin Ho, Tai-Hing Lam","doi":"10.1089/g4h.2023.0190","DOIUrl":"10.1089/g4h.2023.0190","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b><i>Background:</i></b> Promoting COVID-19 prevention is key to pandemic control and innovative interventions can help communicate reliable science to the public. Under the Hong Kong Jockey Club SMART Family-Link Project, we developed and evaluated a pilot intervention for promoting COVID-19 prevention through a web-based family game, guided by the Theory of Planned Behavior and a strength-based approach. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> The \"SMART Epidemic prevention\" pilot theme was launched to the public on September 21, 2020 for 4 weeks. The game had two parts: (i) strength recognition and (ii) quiz questions on knowledge and behaviors about COVID-19 prevention. Simple baseline, in-game, and postgame evaluation assessed players' perceived knowledge, behaviors, family well-being, game satisfaction, and perceived benefits. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Of 86 registered families, 55 played actively, including 212 players (51% female, 35% aged below 18) who self-identified as children (44%), parents (39%), and grandparents (11%). In weeks 1 and 4, an average of 7 and 18 game rounds were played per family, and 86.6% and 75.9% of rounds had perfect (2) behavior matches. Postgame evaluation with 51 families showed improvements in epidemic prevention knowledge and behaviors, family communication, family happiness (all <i>P</i> < 0.001), and family relationship (<i>P</i> = 0.002) with small effect sizes (0.15-0.29). Overall game satisfaction was rated 4.49 (scale of 1-5). Ninety-four percent of families shared knowledge from the game with others. <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> Our pilot web-based family game first showed preliminary evidence on enhancing COVID-19 prevention knowledge and behaviors, and family well-being, with participants recognizing family strengths, reporting high satisfaction and various perceived benefits, and showing sustained gameplay. <b><i>Trial Registration:</i></b> The research protocol was registered at the National Institutes of Health (Identifier No. NCT04550065) on September 16, 2020.</p>","PeriodicalId":47401,"journal":{"name":"Games for Health Journal","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2024-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140177083","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Background: Auditory-verbal training is essential for children with hearing challenges, and the gamification approach has become a promising direction for improving the rehabilitation experience and effect. However, the specific influence of the gamified training approach on participants at different rehabilitation stages has not been empirically studied, especially in the practical training effect caused by gamified interventions and the varying influence on children with different rehabilitation status. Objective: This article is thus intended to investigate the following research questions: (1) do the training performances of children at advanced rehabilitation stage differ before and after using the gamified training system? (2) Do the training performances of children at intermediate rehabilitation stage differ before and after using the gamified training system? (3) Do children enjoy the gamified training approach? Methods: For the purpose, a digital gamified auditory-verbal training system was originally developed, and a series of user experiments were organized. The training performance of 31 hearing-challenged children was assessed, and interviews with six professional therapists were conducted. Results: It can be found that generally the gamified training approach can effectively facilitate the training experience and help with the basic auditory memory and expression capabilities. Moreover, it is feasible to be applied in practical training due to the high customization of digital training contents, multimodal interactive training means, and highly enjoyable training experience. Conclusions: Regarding the specific influence, the gamified way can better improve the basic auditory-verbal performance of children at the intermediate stage since the focus is more on the ease of learning and adaption to the training system. While for children at the advanced rehabilitation stage, the precise training and professional training contents are more in demand, it is not easy to achieve quick improvements. These findings and conclusions can provide insights for further explorations and applications of the gamification approach in children's auditory-verbal rehabilitation. This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) of Shanghai Jiao Tong University with the approval number H2022213P.
{"title":"The Impact of Gamified Auditory-Verbal Training for Hearing-Challenged Children at Intermediate and Advanced Rehabilitation Stages.","authors":"Yan Xiang, Zhen Zhang, Danni Chang, Lei Tu","doi":"10.1089/g4h.2023.0213","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1089/g4h.2023.0213","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b><i>Background:</i></b> Auditory-verbal training is essential for children with hearing challenges, and the gamification approach has become a promising direction for improving the rehabilitation experience and effect. However, the specific influence of the gamified training approach on participants at different rehabilitation stages has not been empirically studied, especially in the practical training effect caused by gamified interventions and the varying influence on children with different rehabilitation status. <b><i>Objective:</i></b> This article is thus intended to investigate the following research questions: (1) do the training performances of children at advanced rehabilitation stage differ before and after using the gamified training system? (2) Do the training performances of children at intermediate rehabilitation stage differ before and after using the gamified training system? (3) Do children enjoy the gamified training approach? <b><i>Methods:</i></b> For the purpose, a digital gamified auditory-verbal training system was originally developed, and a series of user experiments were organized. The training performance of 31 hearing-challenged children was assessed, and interviews with six professional therapists were conducted. <b><i>Results:</i></b> It can be found that generally the gamified training approach can effectively facilitate the training experience and help with the basic auditory memory and expression capabilities. Moreover, it is feasible to be applied in practical training due to the high customization of digital training contents, multimodal interactive training means, and highly enjoyable training experience. <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> Regarding the specific influence, the gamified way can better improve the basic auditory-verbal performance of children at the intermediate stage since the focus is more on the ease of learning and adaption to the training system. While for children at the advanced rehabilitation stage, the precise training and professional training contents are more in demand, it is not easy to achieve quick improvements. These findings and conclusions can provide insights for further explorations and applications of the gamification approach in children's auditory-verbal rehabilitation. This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) of Shanghai Jiao Tong University with the approval number H2022213P.</p>","PeriodicalId":47401,"journal":{"name":"Games for Health Journal","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2024-05-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141162951","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Wang Mingxuan, Han Ting, Zhang Chenqi, Zhao Ningning, Chen Hao, Zheng Hongtao, Li Shuo, Ge Yang
Objective: College students experience intense anxiety, for which biofeedback mindfulness techniques show effectiveness in relief. However, typical biofeedback products often lead to user fatigue and boredom because of a single or fixed feedback and lack of focus on mindfulness enhancement. Materials and Methods: In this research, we developed Mindjourney, a VR-based respiratory feedback mindfulness system, designed to enhance mindfulness and alleviate anxiety through continuous/noncontinuous feedback and nonjudgmental reward/punishment for self-perception and attention management. A randomized controlled trial involved 72 college students, split equally into short-term (n = 34, age: 23.11 ± 1.729) and 4-week long-term (n = 38, age: 24.12 ± 1.408) groups, with equal randomization for intervention and control groups. Pre/postintervention tests were measured by using Trait Anxiety Inventory (TAI) and Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) for long-term groups and Galvanic Skin Response and State Anxiety Inventory (SAI) for short-term groups. Results: Results showed that the long-term intervention group showed a significant increase in mindfulness (P = 0.001 for FFMQ total score). Furthermore, observe and act with awareness subscales showed significant increase after intervention (P = 0.034 for observe, P < 0.001 for act with awareness) compared with the control group. Both intervention groups demonstrated a significant decrease in anxiety levels compared with the control groups (P = 0.049 for SAI, P = 0.01 for TAI). Moreover, participants expressed high interest in this biofeedback mindfulness system and willingness for long-term usage. Conclusion: The proposed biofeedback mindfulness practice system could potentially facilitate mindfulness practice and serve as a convenient tool for anxiety relief in campus college students.
目的:大学生有强烈的焦虑感,生物反馈正念技术对缓解这种焦虑感很有效。然而,典型的生物反馈产品由于反馈单一或固定,且缺乏对正念增强的关注,往往会导致用户疲劳和厌倦。材料与方法:在这项研究中,我们开发了基于 VR 的呼吸反馈正念系统 Mindjourney,旨在通过连续/非连续反馈和非评判性奖励/惩罚来增强正念和缓解焦虑,从而实现自我感知和注意力管理。一项随机对照试验涉及 72 名大学生,平均分为短期组(n = 34,年龄:23.11 ± 1.729)和为期 4 周的长期组(n = 38,年龄:24.12 ± 1.408),干预组和对照组的随机化程度相同。长期组采用特质焦虑量表(TAI)和五面正念问卷(FFMQ)进行干预前后测试,短期组采用伽伐尼皮肤反应(Galvanic Skin Response)和状态焦虑量表(SAI)进行干预前后测试。结果显示结果显示,长期干预组的正念显著增强(FFMQ 总分的 P = 0.001)。此外,与对照组相比,观察和觉察行动分量表在干预后有显著提高(观察的 P = 0.034,觉察行动的 P < 0.001)。与对照组相比,两个干预组的焦虑水平都有明显下降(SAI 的 P = 0.049,TAI 的 P = 0.01)。此外,参与者对这一生物反馈正念系统表示出浓厚的兴趣,并愿意长期使用。结论建议的生物反馈正念练习系统有可能促进正念练习,并成为缓解校园大学生焦虑的便捷工具。
{"title":"Using a Biofeedback-Based Mindfulness Practice System to Enhance Mindfulness and Alleviate Anxiety in College Students: A Randomized Controlled Trial.","authors":"Wang Mingxuan, Han Ting, Zhang Chenqi, Zhao Ningning, Chen Hao, Zheng Hongtao, Li Shuo, Ge Yang","doi":"10.1089/g4h.2024.0041","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1089/g4h.2024.0041","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b><i>Objective:</i></b> College students experience intense anxiety, for which biofeedback mindfulness techniques show effectiveness in relief. However, typical biofeedback products often lead to user fatigue and boredom because of a single or fixed feedback and lack of focus on mindfulness enhancement. <b><i>Materials and Methods:</i></b> In this research, we developed Mindjourney, a VR-based respiratory feedback mindfulness system, designed to enhance mindfulness and alleviate anxiety through continuous/noncontinuous feedback and nonjudgmental reward/punishment for self-perception and attention management. A randomized controlled trial involved 72 college students, split equally into short-term (<i>n</i> = 34, age: 23.11 ± 1.729) and 4-week long-term (<i>n</i> = 38, age: 24.12 ± 1.408) groups, with equal randomization for intervention and control groups. Pre/postintervention tests were measured by using Trait Anxiety Inventory (TAI) and Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) for long-term groups and Galvanic Skin Response and State Anxiety Inventory (SAI) for short-term groups. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Results showed that the long-term intervention group showed a significant increase in mindfulness (<i>P</i> = 0.001 for FFMQ total score). Furthermore, <i>observe</i> and <i>act with awareness</i> subscales showed significant increase after intervention (<i>P</i> = 0.034 for <i>observe</i>, <i>P</i> < 0.001 for <i>act with awareness</i>) compared with the control group. Both intervention groups demonstrated a significant decrease in anxiety levels compared with the control groups (<i>P</i> = 0.049 for SAI, <i>P</i> = 0.01 for TAI). Moreover, participants expressed high interest in this biofeedback mindfulness system and willingness for long-term usage. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> The proposed biofeedback mindfulness practice system could potentially facilitate mindfulness practice and serve as a convenient tool for anxiety relief in campus college students.</p>","PeriodicalId":47401,"journal":{"name":"Games for Health Journal","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2024-05-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141162952","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ehud Bodner, Adi Segev, Roberto Chernitsky, Yoram Barak
Introduction: Playing together increases social connectedness, and it may be a tool to reduce loneliness. Research into the mental health benefits of board games is underdeveloped. Objectives: The study aims to examine the effects of the Kioku board game on well-being outcomes. The Kioku board game was developed in order to enable small group interactions with a focus on encouraging participants to create stories through mutual attention and interaction. We hypothesized that following a weekly intervention for 12 weeks, players would report a decrease in loneliness and an increase in well-being, compared with nonplayers. Methods: During the summer of 2022, participants in groups of 4-5 players, chose a cube word and narrated a story. A sample of 151 older adults (Mean age = 75.05 ± 6.46 years) recruited from seven community activity centers in Israel was assigned by block randomization to an intervention (n = 72) or a control group (n = 79), awaiting 4-6 weeks for future participation. Loneliness (UCLA loneliness scale) and well-being (World Health Organization 5-item scale) were evaluated at baseline and at 12 weeks. Results: A two-way repeated measures analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) (Group × Time) controlling for age, country of origin, and marital status revealed significant interaction effects for loneliness [F(1, 146) = 178.04, n2 = 0.549, P < 0.001] and well-being [F(1, 146) = 69.14, n2 = 0.321, P < 0.001]. Loneliness decreased in the intervention group (mean difference: 0.62 points, P < 0.001), and increased in the control group (mean difference: 0.18 points, P = 0.001). Well-being increased in the intervention group (mean difference: 0.79 points, P < 0.001) and decreased in the control group (mean difference: 0.20 points, P < 0.001). Conclusions: Our findings support the effectiveness of the Kioku board game intervention for decreasing loneliness and promoting well-being in older adults, who might still be coping with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
{"title":"Playing Kioku Reduces Loneliness in Older Adults: A Pilot Study.","authors":"Ehud Bodner, Adi Segev, Roberto Chernitsky, Yoram Barak","doi":"10.1089/g4h.2023.0130","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1089/g4h.2023.0130","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b><i>Introduction:</i></b> Playing together increases social connectedness, and it may be a tool to reduce loneliness. Research into the mental health benefits of board games is underdeveloped. <b><i>Objectives:</i></b> The study aims to examine the effects of the Kioku board game on well-being outcomes. The Kioku board game was developed in order to enable small group interactions with a focus on encouraging participants to create stories through mutual attention and interaction. We hypothesized that following a weekly intervention for 12 weeks, players would report a decrease in loneliness and an increase in well-being, compared with nonplayers. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> During the summer of 2022, participants in groups of 4-5 players, chose a cube word and narrated a story. A sample of 151 older adults (Mean age <i>=</i> 75.05 ± 6.46 years) recruited from seven community activity centers in Israel was assigned by block randomization to an intervention (<i>n</i> = 72) or a control group (<i>n</i> = 79), awaiting 4-6 weeks for future participation. Loneliness (UCLA loneliness scale) and well-being (World Health Organization 5-item scale) were evaluated at baseline and at 12 weeks. <b><i>Results:</i></b> A two-way repeated measures analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) (Group × Time) controlling for age, country of origin, and marital status revealed significant interaction effects for loneliness [<i>F</i>(1, 146) = 178.04, <i>n</i><sup>2</sup> = 0.549, <i>P < 0.001</i>] and well-being [<i>F</i>(1, 146) = 69.14, <i>n</i><sup>2</sup> = 0.321, <i>P < 0.001</i>]. Loneliness decreased in the intervention group (mean difference: 0.62 points, <i>P < 0.001</i>), and increased in the control group (mean difference: 0.18 points, <i>P</i> = 0.001). Well-being increased in the intervention group (mean difference: 0.79 points, <i>P < 0.001</i>) and decreased in the control group (mean difference: 0.20 points, <i>P < 0.001</i>). <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> Our findings support the effectiveness of the Kioku board game intervention for decreasing loneliness and promoting well-being in older adults, who might still be coping with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.</p>","PeriodicalId":47401,"journal":{"name":"Games for Health Journal","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2024-05-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141162950","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Marat Assanovich, Oleg Skugarevsky, Mikhail Kaspartov, Andrew Sokol
Aim of the Study: The primary objective was to evaluate the potential impact of the Goodville farm game on depressive symptoms. Methods: The Goodville game, characterized by its unique farming features, incorporates elements of emotional well-being and various mental health assessment tools, enabling players to monitor and improve their emotional state. Using self-reported Patient Health Questionnaire-8 (PHQ-8) data from 1717 US and UK players, changes were monitored weekly over a 6-week period. The study focused on the game's ability to integrate emotional well-being elements and various mental health assessments to facilitate self-monitoring and improvement of players' emotional states. Results: There was a significant overall time effect (F = 154.498, df = 1711, P < 0.001), indicating a moderate-to-large effect size, with progressive decreases in PHQ-8 scores throughout the period. About 60% of players reported reduced depressive symptom severity, with around 35% experiencing complete symptom relief. More significant improvements were observed in players with higher initial severity. No correlations were found between symptom changes and demographic data or the number of active playing days. Conclusion: Goodville demonstrates potential as a digital mental health intervention in reducing depressive symptoms through its specific characteristics designed to improve emotional well-being. The study emphasizes the need to consider baseline severity and highlights the therapeutic promise of authentic farming game features. Despite the absence of a control group, the findings contribute meaningful insights into digital interventions for mental health care and set a direction for future studies to validate and expand upon these results.
{"title":"Temporal Changes in Depressive Symptoms Among Goodville Farm Game Players: A 6-Week Observational Study.","authors":"Marat Assanovich, Oleg Skugarevsky, Mikhail Kaspartov, Andrew Sokol","doi":"10.1089/g4h.2023.0122","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1089/g4h.2023.0122","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b><i>Aim of the Study:</i></b> The primary objective was to evaluate the potential impact of the Goodville farm game on depressive symptoms. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> The Goodville game, characterized by its unique farming features, incorporates elements of emotional well-being and various mental health assessment tools, enabling players to monitor and improve their emotional state. Using self-reported Patient Health Questionnaire-8 (PHQ-8) data from 1717 US and UK players, changes were monitored weekly over a 6-week period. The study focused on the game's ability to integrate emotional well-being elements and various mental health assessments to facilitate self-monitoring and improvement of players' emotional states. <b><i>Results:</i></b> There was a significant overall time effect (<i>F</i> = 154.498, df = 1711, <i>P</i> < 0.001), indicating a moderate-to-large effect size, with progressive decreases in PHQ-8 scores throughout the period. About 60% of players reported reduced depressive symptom severity, with around 35% experiencing complete symptom relief. More significant improvements were observed in players with higher initial severity. No correlations were found between symptom changes and demographic data or the number of active playing days. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> Goodville demonstrates potential as a digital mental health intervention in reducing depressive symptoms through its specific characteristics designed to improve emotional well-being. The study emphasizes the need to consider baseline severity and highlights the therapeutic promise of authentic farming game features. Despite the absence of a control group, the findings contribute meaningful insights into digital interventions for mental health care and set a direction for future studies to validate and expand upon these results.</p>","PeriodicalId":47401,"journal":{"name":"Games for Health Journal","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2024-05-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141077060","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Kaile Kubota, Jennifer Auxier, Funda Aslan, Katja Joronen, Anni Pakarinen
Gamified health interventions can offer child-centered and tailored health-promoting strategies. Evidence suggests that its various mechanics foster engagement that can be utilized to promote health and well-being and influence health behavior. At present, psychosocial challenges among school-aged children are becoming a global predicament. We conducted a scoping review to explore the range and nature of evidence on gamified interventions for promoting the psychosocial well-being of school-aged children from the general population. We followed the Arksey and O'Malley framework and extracted sources of evidence from five databases. Our review findings were summarized with basic numerical analysis and provided with narrative accounts based on a gamification taxonomy and the Template for Intervention Description and Replication (TIDieR). We identified 12 gamified interventions and included 23 records that reported their development and evaluation. Theories on emotions, behaviors, social skills, and mental health were commonly applied frameworks. Narrative was found as the most commonly used gamification mechanic (11/12, 91.7%), followed by avatar and tasks (10/12, 83.3%), feedback system and level progression (9/12, 75%), points (7/12, 58.3%), badges (5/12, 41.7%), progress bar (4/12, 33.3%), and virtual goods, reminders, and time pressure (2/12, 16.7%). The included sources of evidence reported significant improvements in some of the measured psychosocial outcomes; however, studies on this domain for this particular target group are still considerably limited. Further research is needed to determine how the applied theories and gamification mechanics brought about the change in psychosocial outcomes, bridging the gap in current evidence.
{"title":"Gamified Interventions for Promoting the Psychosocial Well-Being of School-Aged Children: A Scoping Review.","authors":"Kaile Kubota, Jennifer Auxier, Funda Aslan, Katja Joronen, Anni Pakarinen","doi":"10.1089/g4h.2023.0115","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1089/g4h.2023.0115","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Gamified health interventions can offer child-centered and tailored health-promoting strategies. Evidence suggests that its various mechanics foster engagement that can be utilized to promote health and well-being and influence health behavior. At present, psychosocial challenges among school-aged children are becoming a global predicament. We conducted a scoping review to explore the range and nature of evidence on gamified interventions for promoting the psychosocial well-being of school-aged children from the general population. We followed the Arksey and O'Malley framework and extracted sources of evidence from five databases. Our review findings were summarized with basic numerical analysis and provided with narrative accounts based on a gamification taxonomy and the Template for Intervention Description and Replication (TIDieR). We identified 12 gamified interventions and included 23 records that reported their development and evaluation. Theories on emotions, behaviors, social skills, and mental health were commonly applied frameworks. Narrative was found as the most commonly used gamification mechanic (11/12, 91.7%), followed by avatar and tasks (10/12, 83.3%), feedback system and level progression (9/12, 75%), points (7/12, 58.3%), badges (5/12, 41.7%), progress bar (4/12, 33.3%), and virtual goods, reminders, and time pressure (2/12, 16.7%). The included sources of evidence reported significant improvements in some of the measured psychosocial outcomes; however, studies on this domain for this particular target group are still considerably limited. Further research is needed to determine how the applied theories and gamification mechanics brought about the change in psychosocial outcomes, bridging the gap in current evidence.</p>","PeriodicalId":47401,"journal":{"name":"Games for Health Journal","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2024-05-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140960214","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Vanina Costa, Ana Rojo, Sergio López-López, Helios Pareja-Galeano, Alexánder Velásquez, Luis Perea, Rafael Raya
Objective: This research evaluates from a usability point of view the combination of a developed fully immersive virtual reality (VR) solution with the SWalker robotic device. It aims to contribute to research in the exploration of immersive experiences overground with a functional gait recovery device. Materials and Methods: We evaluated the system in a pilot study with 20 healthy participants aged 85.1 (SD: 6.29). Participants used the SWalker-VR platform while testing one VR application focused on walking and the other on balance practice. Afterward, the participants answered three usability questionnaires. Results: The platform was validated in terms of safety using the Simulator Sickness Questionnaire, obtaining less than 20 points for all subscales: nausea (4.29 ± 14.47), oculomotor (0.38 ± 14.18), and disorientation (1.39 ± 14.52). For usability evaluation, the System Usability Scale provided an overall score of 70.63 ± 11.64, and the Post-Study System Usability Questionnaire (PSSUQ) rated 1.61 ± 0.54. The usability scores reported by both questionnaires were moderate and good, respectively. These results were similar in overall scores for both groups: participants with low cognitive level and participants with high cognitive level. Finally, the possible causes for the "no answered" responses on the PSSUQ were discussed. Conclusion: It is concluded that the SWalker-VR platform is reported to have adequate usability and high security by older adults. The potential interest of studying the effects of the long-term use of this platform by older adults with gait impairment is expressed. Clinical Trials reference: NCT06025981.
{"title":"Evaluating the Usability and Safety of Virtual Reality Application Combined with the SWalker for Functional Gait Rehabilitation.","authors":"Vanina Costa, Ana Rojo, Sergio López-López, Helios Pareja-Galeano, Alexánder Velásquez, Luis Perea, Rafael Raya","doi":"10.1089/g4h.2023.0172","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1089/g4h.2023.0172","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b><i>Objective:</i></b> This research evaluates from a usability point of view the combination of a developed fully immersive virtual reality (VR) solution with the SWalker robotic device. It aims to contribute to research in the exploration of immersive experiences overground with a functional gait recovery device. <b><i>Materials and Methods:</i></b> We evaluated the system in a pilot study with 20 healthy participants aged 85.1 (SD: 6.29). Participants used the SWalker-VR platform while testing one VR application focused on walking and the other on balance practice. Afterward, the participants answered three usability questionnaires. <b><i>Results:</i></b> The platform was validated in terms of safety using the Simulator Sickness Questionnaire, obtaining less than 20 points for all subscales: nausea (4.29 ± 14.47), oculomotor (0.38 ± 14.18), and disorientation (1.39 ± 14.52). For usability evaluation, the System Usability Scale provided an overall score of 70.63 ± 11.64, and the Post-Study System Usability Questionnaire (PSSUQ) rated 1.61 ± 0.54. The usability scores reported by both questionnaires were moderate and good, respectively. These results were similar in overall scores for both groups: participants with low cognitive level and participants with high cognitive level. Finally, the possible causes for the \"no answered\" responses on the PSSUQ were discussed. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> It is concluded that the SWalker-VR platform is reported to have adequate usability and high security by older adults. The potential interest of studying the effects of the long-term use of this platform by older adults with gait impairment is expressed. <b><i>Clinical Trials reference:</i></b> NCT06025981.</p>","PeriodicalId":47401,"journal":{"name":"Games for Health Journal","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2024-05-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140960210","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Kaile Kubota, Jennifer Auxier, Funda Aslan, Katja Joronen, A. Pakarinen
Gamified health interventions can offer child-centered and tailored health-promoting strategies. Evidence suggests that its various mechanics foster engagement that can be utilized to promote health and well-being and influence health behavior. At present, psychosocial challenges among school-aged children are becoming a global predicament. We conducted a scoping review to explore the range and nature of evidence on gamified interventions for promoting the psychosocial well-being of school-aged children from the general population. We followed the Arksey and O'Malley framework and extracted sources of evidence from five databases. Our review findings were summarized with basic numerical analysis and provided with narrative accounts based on a gamification taxonomy and the Template for Intervention Description and Replication (TIDieR). We identified 12 gamified interventions and included 23 records that reported their development and evaluation. Theories on emotions, behaviors, social skills, and mental health were commonly applied frameworks. Narrative was found as the most commonly used gamification mechanic (11/12, 91.7%), followed by avatar and tasks (10/12, 83.3%), feedback system and level progression (9/12, 75%), points (7/12, 58.3%), badges (5/12, 41.7%), progress bar (4/12, 33.3%), and virtual goods, reminders, and time pressure (2/12, 16.7%). The included sources of evidence reported significant improvements in some of the measured psychosocial outcomes; however, studies on this domain for this particular target group are still considerably limited. Further research is needed to determine how the applied theories and gamification mechanics brought about the change in psychosocial outcomes, bridging the gap in current evidence.
{"title":"Gamified Interventions for Promoting the Psychosocial Well-Being of School-Aged Children: A Scoping Review.","authors":"Kaile Kubota, Jennifer Auxier, Funda Aslan, Katja Joronen, A. Pakarinen","doi":"10.1089/g4h.2023.0115","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1089/g4h.2023.0115","url":null,"abstract":"Gamified health interventions can offer child-centered and tailored health-promoting strategies. Evidence suggests that its various mechanics foster engagement that can be utilized to promote health and well-being and influence health behavior. At present, psychosocial challenges among school-aged children are becoming a global predicament. We conducted a scoping review to explore the range and nature of evidence on gamified interventions for promoting the psychosocial well-being of school-aged children from the general population. We followed the Arksey and O'Malley framework and extracted sources of evidence from five databases. Our review findings were summarized with basic numerical analysis and provided with narrative accounts based on a gamification taxonomy and the Template for Intervention Description and Replication (TIDieR). We identified 12 gamified interventions and included 23 records that reported their development and evaluation. Theories on emotions, behaviors, social skills, and mental health were commonly applied frameworks. Narrative was found as the most commonly used gamification mechanic (11/12, 91.7%), followed by avatar and tasks (10/12, 83.3%), feedback system and level progression (9/12, 75%), points (7/12, 58.3%), badges (5/12, 41.7%), progress bar (4/12, 33.3%), and virtual goods, reminders, and time pressure (2/12, 16.7%). The included sources of evidence reported significant improvements in some of the measured psychosocial outcomes; however, studies on this domain for this particular target group are still considerably limited. Further research is needed to determine how the applied theories and gamification mechanics brought about the change in psychosocial outcomes, bridging the gap in current evidence.","PeriodicalId":47401,"journal":{"name":"Games for Health Journal","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2024-05-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140965380","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Vanina Costa, Ana Rojo, S. López-López, Helios Pareja-Galeano, Alexánder Velásquez, Luis Perea, Rafael Raya
Objective: This research evaluates from a usability point of view the combination of a developed fully immersive virtual reality (VR) solution with the SWalker robotic device. It aims to contribute to research in the exploration of immersive experiences overground with a functional gait recovery device. Materials and Methods: We evaluated the system in a pilot study with 20 healthy participants aged 85.1 (SD: 6.29). Participants used the SWalker-VR platform while testing one VR application focused on walking and the other on balance practice. Afterward, the participants answered three usability questionnaires. Results: The platform was validated in terms of safety using the Simulator Sickness Questionnaire, obtaining less than 20 points for all subscales: nausea (4.29 ± 14.47), oculomotor (0.38 ± 14.18), and disorientation (1.39 ± 14.52). For usability evaluation, the System Usability Scale provided an overall score of 70.63 ± 11.64, and the Post-Study System Usability Questionnaire (PSSUQ) rated 1.61 ± 0.54. The usability scores reported by both questionnaires were moderate and good, respectively. These results were similar in overall scores for both groups: participants with low cognitive level and participants with high cognitive level. Finally, the possible causes for the "no answered" responses on the PSSUQ were discussed. Conclusion: It is concluded that the SWalker-VR platform is reported to have adequate usability and high security by older adults. The potential interest of studying the effects of the long-term use of this platform by older adults with gait impairment is expressed. Clinical Trials reference: NCT06025981.
{"title":"Evaluating the Usability and Safety of Virtual Reality Application Combined with the SWalker for Functional Gait Rehabilitation.","authors":"Vanina Costa, Ana Rojo, S. López-López, Helios Pareja-Galeano, Alexánder Velásquez, Luis Perea, Rafael Raya","doi":"10.1089/g4h.2023.0172","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1089/g4h.2023.0172","url":null,"abstract":"Objective: This research evaluates from a usability point of view the combination of a developed fully immersive virtual reality (VR) solution with the SWalker robotic device. It aims to contribute to research in the exploration of immersive experiences overground with a functional gait recovery device. Materials and Methods: We evaluated the system in a pilot study with 20 healthy participants aged 85.1 (SD: 6.29). Participants used the SWalker-VR platform while testing one VR application focused on walking and the other on balance practice. Afterward, the participants answered three usability questionnaires. Results: The platform was validated in terms of safety using the Simulator Sickness Questionnaire, obtaining less than 20 points for all subscales: nausea (4.29 ± 14.47), oculomotor (0.38 ± 14.18), and disorientation (1.39 ± 14.52). For usability evaluation, the System Usability Scale provided an overall score of 70.63 ± 11.64, and the Post-Study System Usability Questionnaire (PSSUQ) rated 1.61 ± 0.54. The usability scores reported by both questionnaires were moderate and good, respectively. These results were similar in overall scores for both groups: participants with low cognitive level and participants with high cognitive level. Finally, the possible causes for the \"no answered\" responses on the PSSUQ were discussed. Conclusion: It is concluded that the SWalker-VR platform is reported to have adequate usability and high security by older adults. The potential interest of studying the effects of the long-term use of this platform by older adults with gait impairment is expressed. Clinical Trials reference: NCT06025981.","PeriodicalId":47401,"journal":{"name":"Games for Health Journal","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2024-05-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140964371","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Gianni Cutillo, Valeria Brazzoduro, Giorgio Bedogni, Caterina Colombo, Stefania Zambrano, Samantha Rossi, Gian Vincenzo Zuccotti, Irene Daniele, Gianluca Lista, Barbara Scelsa
Background: Premature children are at increased risk of executive functions (EF) deficits and these difficulties persist into adolescence and adulthood, potentially undermining their development and academic achievements. The aim of the present randomized controlled trial (RCT) is to evaluate the efficacy of the Intendu trainer, an adaptive virtual reality platform, at ameliorating EF in preterm children. Methods: A single-center, RCT was conducted. The intervention group was exposed to game session with the Intendu software in addition to the standard of care in use in our center. The main outcome was the proportion of children with a 10-point increase in the processing speed quotient as measured by WPPSI-III after 4 weeks from the baseline assessment. Results: Forty-seven children born before 36 + 5 weeks were randomized to the experimental (n = 24) or control arm (n = 23). Five children were lost to follow-up. Thirteen of 23 children (56%) reached the main outcome in the experimental group and 5 of 19 (26%) in the control group (P = 0.049, per-protocol analysis) with an absolute benefit increase (ABI) of 30% reconfirmed by the intention-to-treat analysis (P = 0.022, ABI of 32%). Conclusion: Intendu brain-trainer showed promising short-term results on EF in pre-term children, however, larger studies with longer periods of follow-up are warranted to better investigate the role of this or similar technology in promoting better EF in preterm children.
{"title":"Executive Functions Rehabilitation in Premature Children Using an Adaptive Motion-Interaction Videogame Platform: A Randomized Controlled Trial.","authors":"Gianni Cutillo, Valeria Brazzoduro, Giorgio Bedogni, Caterina Colombo, Stefania Zambrano, Samantha Rossi, Gian Vincenzo Zuccotti, Irene Daniele, Gianluca Lista, Barbara Scelsa","doi":"10.1089/g4h.2023.0078","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1089/g4h.2023.0078","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b><i>Background:</i></b> Premature children are at increased risk of executive functions (EF) deficits and these difficulties persist into adolescence and adulthood, potentially undermining their development and academic achievements. The aim of the present randomized controlled trial (RCT) is to evaluate the efficacy of the Intendu trainer, an adaptive virtual reality platform, at ameliorating EF in preterm children. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> A single-center, RCT was conducted. The intervention group was exposed to game session with the Intendu software in addition to the standard of care in use in our center. The main outcome was the proportion of children with a 10-point increase in the processing speed quotient as measured by WPPSI-III after 4 weeks from the baseline assessment. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Forty-seven children born before 36 + 5 weeks were randomized to the experimental (<i>n</i> = 24) or control arm (<i>n</i> = 23). Five children were lost to follow-up. Thirteen of 23 children (56%) reached the main outcome in the experimental group and 5 of 19 (26%) in the control group (<i>P</i> = 0.049, per-protocol analysis) with an absolute benefit increase (ABI) of 30% reconfirmed by the intention-to-treat analysis (<i>P</i> = 0.022, ABI of 32%). <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> Intendu brain-trainer showed promising short-term results on EF in pre-term children, however, larger studies with longer periods of follow-up are warranted to better investigate the role of this or similar technology in promoting better EF in preterm children.</p>","PeriodicalId":47401,"journal":{"name":"Games for Health Journal","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2024-05-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140872923","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}