The untapped potential of Games for Health in times of crises. A critical reflection

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The untapped potential of Games for Health in times of crises. A critical reflection. / Dadaczynski, Kevin; Tolks, Daniel; Wrona, Kamil J. et al.
In: Frontiers in Public Health, Vol. 11, 1140665, 28.02.2023.

Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

Harvard

APA

Dadaczynski, K., Tolks, D., Wrona, K. J., Mc Call, T., & Fischer, F. (2023). The untapped potential of Games for Health in times of crises. A critical reflection. Frontiers in Public Health, 11, Article 1140665. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1140665

Vancouver

Dadaczynski K, Tolks D, Wrona KJ, Mc Call T, Fischer F. The untapped potential of Games for Health in times of crises. A critical reflection. Frontiers in Public Health. 2023 Feb 28;11:1140665. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1140665

Bibtex

@article{92375a78980445e8b7ea18a656c5481a,
title = "The untapped potential of Games for Health in times of crises. A critical reflection",
abstract = "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.",
keywords = "COVID-19, emergency situation, games for health, gamification, health inequalities, serious games, Health sciences, Psychology",
author = "Kevin Dadaczynski and Daniel Tolks and Wrona, {Kamil J.} and {Mc Call}, Timothy and Florian Fischer",
note = "Publisher Copyright: Copyright {\textcopyright} 2023 Dadaczynski, Tolks, Wrona, Mc Call and Fischer.",
year = "2023",
month = feb,
day = "28",
doi = "10.3389/fpubh.2023.1140665",
language = "English",
volume = "11",
journal = "Frontiers in Public Health",
issn = "2296-2565",
publisher = "Frontiers Research Foundation",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - The untapped potential of Games for Health in times of crises. A critical reflection

AU - Dadaczynski, Kevin

AU - Tolks, Daniel

AU - Wrona, Kamil J.

AU - Mc Call, Timothy

AU - Fischer, Florian

N1 - Publisher Copyright: Copyright © 2023 Dadaczynski, Tolks, Wrona, Mc Call and Fischer.

PY - 2023/2/28

Y1 - 2023/2/28

N2 - 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.

AB - 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.

KW - COVID-19

KW - emergency situation

KW - games for health

KW - gamification

KW - health inequalities

KW - serious games

KW - Health sciences

KW - Psychology

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85150275474&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1140665

DO - 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1140665

M3 - Journal articles

C2 - 36926167

AN - SCOPUS:85150275474

VL - 11

JO - Frontiers in Public Health

JF - Frontiers in Public Health

SN - 2296-2565

M1 - 1140665

ER -

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