The untapped potential of Games for Health in times of crises. A critical reflection
Given its promising role in public health to address hard to reach population groups, game-based interventions (i.e., Games for Health, G4H) have experienced growing interest in recent years. Therefore, it is surprising that they have played only a minor role during the COVID-19 pandemic. Hence, the...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-02-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Public Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1140665/full |
| _version_ | 1797893716147437568 |
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| author | Kevin Dadaczynski Kevin Dadaczynski Daniel Tolks Daniel Tolks Kamil J. Wrona Kamil J. Wrona Timothy Mc Call Florian Fischer Florian Fischer |
| author_facet | Kevin Dadaczynski Kevin Dadaczynski Daniel Tolks Daniel Tolks Kamil J. Wrona Kamil J. Wrona Timothy Mc Call Florian Fischer Florian Fischer |
| author_sort | Kevin Dadaczynski |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Given its promising role in public health to address hard to reach population groups, game-based interventions (i.e., Games for Health, G4H) have experienced growing interest in recent years. Therefore, it is surprising that they have played only a minor role during the COVID-19 pandemic. Hence, the aim of this paper is to reflect the opportunities and challenges of G4H especially during the pandemic but also with regard to future health crises. As commercial video games (i.e., those that primarily aim to entertain its users) were often used to deal with the containment measures during the COVID-19 pandemic, we call for greater cooperation with commercial game makers to distribute health-related messages via entertainment games. With regard to G4H we see a need to (i) strengthen the intervention theory underlying game-based applications, (ii) to enhance the appeal of games in order to maintain the interest of users in the long term, and (iii) to improve the evidence base using appropriate study designs. Finally, we argue for (iv) greater user involvement, both in terms of developing game-based approaches and as co-researchers in solving complex health problems. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T06:58:25Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9b66745bb1f6406fa5c7f256e59e89ed |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-2565 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T06:58:25Z |
| publishDate | 2023-02-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Public Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-9b66745bb1f6406fa5c7f256e59e89ed2023-02-28T05:55:57ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Public Health2296-25652023-02-011110.3389/fpubh.2023.11406651140665The untapped potential of Games for Health in times of crises. A critical reflectionKevin Dadaczynski0Kevin Dadaczynski1Daniel Tolks2Daniel Tolks3Kamil J. Wrona4Kamil J. Wrona5Timothy Mc Call6Florian Fischer7Florian Fischer8Department of Health Sciences, Fulda University of Applied Sciences, Fulda, GermanyCenter for Applied Health Sciences, Leuphana University Lüneburg, Lüneburg, GermanyCenter for Applied Health Sciences, Leuphana University Lüneburg, Lüneburg, GermanyDepartment Pedagogy, Nursing and Health, Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, GermanyDepartment of Engineering and Mathematic, Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences, Bielefeld, GermanyDepartment of Health, Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences, Bielefeld, GermanyMedical School OWL, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, GermanyBavarian Research Center for Digital Health and Social Care, Kempten University of Applied Sciences, Kempten, GermanyInstitute of Public Health, Charité–Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, GermanyGiven its promising role in public health to address hard to reach population groups, game-based interventions (i.e., Games for Health, G4H) have experienced growing interest in recent years. Therefore, it is surprising that they have played only a minor role during the COVID-19 pandemic. Hence, the aim of this paper is to reflect the opportunities and challenges of G4H especially during the pandemic but also with regard to future health crises. As commercial video games (i.e., those that primarily aim to entertain its users) were often used to deal with the containment measures during the COVID-19 pandemic, we call for greater cooperation with commercial game makers to distribute health-related messages via entertainment games. With regard to G4H we see a need to (i) strengthen the intervention theory underlying game-based applications, (ii) to enhance the appeal of games in order to maintain the interest of users in the long term, and (iii) to improve the evidence base using appropriate study designs. Finally, we argue for (iv) greater user involvement, both in terms of developing game-based approaches and as co-researchers in solving complex health problems.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1140665/fullgames for healthgamificationserious gamesCOVID-19emergency situationhealth inequalities |
| spellingShingle | Kevin Dadaczynski Kevin Dadaczynski Daniel Tolks Daniel Tolks Kamil J. Wrona Kamil J. Wrona Timothy Mc Call Florian Fischer Florian Fischer The untapped potential of Games for Health in times of crises. A critical reflection Frontiers in Public Health games for health gamification serious games COVID-19 emergency situation health inequalities |
| title | The untapped potential of Games for Health in times of crises. A critical reflection |
| title_full | The untapped potential of Games for Health in times of crises. A critical reflection |
| title_fullStr | The untapped potential of Games for Health in times of crises. A critical reflection |
| title_full_unstemmed | The untapped potential of Games for Health in times of crises. A critical reflection |
| title_short | The untapped potential of Games for Health in times of crises. A critical reflection |
| title_sort | untapped potential of games for health in times of crises a critical reflection |
| topic | games for health gamification serious games COVID-19 emergency situation health inequalities |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1140665/full |
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