The Effects of a Computer Game (Healthy Rat King) on Preschool Children’s Nutritional Knowledge and Junk Food Intake Behavior: Nonrandomized Controlled Trial
BackgroundPlaying computer-aided games could enhance children’s interest in learning about nutritional knowledge and eventually promote healthy dietary intake behavior. ObjectiveThis study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a computer game (Healthy Rat King) in...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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JMIR Publications
2022-07-01
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| Series: | JMIR Serious Games |
| Online Access: | https://games.jmir.org/2022/3/e33137 |
| _version_ | 1827858235880636416 |
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| author | Ing-Chau Chang Cheng-Ying Yang Chin-En Yen |
| author_facet | Ing-Chau Chang Cheng-Ying Yang Chin-En Yen |
| author_sort | Ing-Chau Chang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
BackgroundPlaying computer-aided games could enhance children’s interest in learning about nutritional knowledge and eventually promote healthy dietary intake behavior.
ObjectiveThis study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a computer game (Healthy Rat King) in improving the knowledge on nutrition and junk food intake among preschool children in Taiwan.
MethodsThis was a quasi-experimental study that utilized the computer game Healthy Rat King as the nutrition education tool. We recruited 104 preschool children (aged 5-6 years) from preschools in central Taiwan, who were assigned to either the experimental group (n=56) or the control group (n=48). In the experimental group, a 1-hour computer-based educational game intervention was included in the course for 4 consecutive weeks. The control group did not receive this intervention.
ResultsThe level of nutritional knowledge for children in the experimental group was significantly higher than those in the control group after 4 weeks (P=.002). Furthermore, the frequency of consumption of chocolate, candies, and ice cream (high-calorie junk food) was reduced in the experimental group. There was also no significant difference in the consumption of candy and chocolate (P=.54), ice cream and ice pops (P=.21), cake (P=.92), biscuit (P=.98), soft drinks (P=.52), and fruit juice and sugary drinks (P=.31) between the 2 groups in the posttest.
ConclusionsTeaching using a computer game could improve children’s nutritional knowledge. However, the intake frequency of junk food among children in the experimental group showed no significant difference from those in the control group. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T12:51:25Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ce8f0dc4d4074332a199da7c498716af |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2291-9279 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T12:51:25Z |
| publishDate | 2022-07-01 |
| publisher | JMIR Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | JMIR Serious Games |
| spelling | doaj.art-ce8f0dc4d4074332a199da7c498716af2023-08-28T22:35:12ZengJMIR PublicationsJMIR Serious Games2291-92792022-07-01103e3313710.2196/33137The Effects of a Computer Game (Healthy Rat King) on Preschool Children’s Nutritional Knowledge and Junk Food Intake Behavior: Nonrandomized Controlled TrialIng-Chau Changhttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-9088-9963Cheng-Ying Yanghttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-4905-4600Chin-En Yenhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-9760-936X BackgroundPlaying computer-aided games could enhance children’s interest in learning about nutritional knowledge and eventually promote healthy dietary intake behavior. ObjectiveThis study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a computer game (Healthy Rat King) in improving the knowledge on nutrition and junk food intake among preschool children in Taiwan. MethodsThis was a quasi-experimental study that utilized the computer game Healthy Rat King as the nutrition education tool. We recruited 104 preschool children (aged 5-6 years) from preschools in central Taiwan, who were assigned to either the experimental group (n=56) or the control group (n=48). In the experimental group, a 1-hour computer-based educational game intervention was included in the course for 4 consecutive weeks. The control group did not receive this intervention. ResultsThe level of nutritional knowledge for children in the experimental group was significantly higher than those in the control group after 4 weeks (P=.002). Furthermore, the frequency of consumption of chocolate, candies, and ice cream (high-calorie junk food) was reduced in the experimental group. There was also no significant difference in the consumption of candy and chocolate (P=.54), ice cream and ice pops (P=.21), cake (P=.92), biscuit (P=.98), soft drinks (P=.52), and fruit juice and sugary drinks (P=.31) between the 2 groups in the posttest. ConclusionsTeaching using a computer game could improve children’s nutritional knowledge. However, the intake frequency of junk food among children in the experimental group showed no significant difference from those in the control group.https://games.jmir.org/2022/3/e33137 |
| spellingShingle | Ing-Chau Chang Cheng-Ying Yang Chin-En Yen The Effects of a Computer Game (Healthy Rat King) on Preschool Children’s Nutritional Knowledge and Junk Food Intake Behavior: Nonrandomized Controlled Trial JMIR Serious Games |
| title | The Effects of a Computer Game (Healthy Rat King) on Preschool Children’s Nutritional Knowledge and Junk Food Intake Behavior: Nonrandomized Controlled Trial |
| title_full | The Effects of a Computer Game (Healthy Rat King) on Preschool Children’s Nutritional Knowledge and Junk Food Intake Behavior: Nonrandomized Controlled Trial |
| title_fullStr | The Effects of a Computer Game (Healthy Rat King) on Preschool Children’s Nutritional Knowledge and Junk Food Intake Behavior: Nonrandomized Controlled Trial |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Effects of a Computer Game (Healthy Rat King) on Preschool Children’s Nutritional Knowledge and Junk Food Intake Behavior: Nonrandomized Controlled Trial |
| title_short | The Effects of a Computer Game (Healthy Rat King) on Preschool Children’s Nutritional Knowledge and Junk Food Intake Behavior: Nonrandomized Controlled Trial |
| title_sort | effects of a computer game healthy rat king on preschool children s nutritional knowledge and junk food intake behavior nonrandomized controlled trial |
| url | https://games.jmir.org/2022/3/e33137 |
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