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ARS Home » Plains Area » Houston, Texas » Children's Nutrition Research Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #364998
Title: Experimental design to systematically develop a knowledge base for effective games for health

Author
item BARANOWSKI, TOM - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)
item LYONS, ELIZABETH - University Of Texas Medical Branch
item Thompson, Deborah - Debbe

Submitted to: The Games for Health Journal: Research, Development, and Clinical Applications
Publication Type: Other
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/10/2019
Publication Date: 6/3/2019
Citation: Baranowski, T., Lyons, E.J., Thompson, D.J. 2019. Experimental design to systematically develop a knowledge base for effective games for health. The Games for Health Journal: Research, Development, and Clinical Applications. https://doi.org/10.1089/g4h.2019.0057.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1089/g4h.2019.0057

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Games for health (G4H) have been demonstrated to have desired effects on some lifestyle related health behaviors and health outcomes. Lifestyle behaviors are generally considered to be habitual behaviors which can influence health, e.g. diet, physical activity (PA), sedentary behavior, smoking, alcohol intake, etc. The field is poised to make a difference. People of all ages enjoy videogames and parents are open to having their children play G4H, making videogames a potentially important avenue for behavior change. Videogame researchers should seize this opportunity and identify the techniques most likely to produce desired effects on psychosocial mediators and health behavior. This paper proposes one way in which this could be accomplished, but others may exist. Strong research designs are needed to push the field forward to create videogames with proven-effective game elements and behavior change procedures, to effectively encourage, promote, and support ample behavior change in ways that are enjoyable and effective.