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ARS Home » Plains Area » Houston, Texas » Children's Nutrition Research Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #383541
Research Project: Preventing the Development of Childhood Obesity

Location: Children's Nutrition Research Center

Title: Using the Behavior Change Wheel Program Planning model to design games for health: Development study

Author
item ROBERTSON, MICHAEL - Md Anderson Cancer Center
item BARANOWSKI, TOM - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)
item Thompson, Deborah - Debbe
item BASEN-ENGQUIST, KAREN - Md Anderson Cancer Center
item SWARTZ, MARIA - Md Anderson Cancer Center
item LYONS, ELIZABETH - University Of Texas Medical Branch

Submitted to: JMIR Serious Games
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/3/2021
Publication Date: 12/3/2021
Citation: Robertson, M., Baranowski, T., Thompson, D.J., Basen-Engquist, K.M., Swartz, M., Lyons, E. 2021. Using the Behavior Change Wheel Program Planning model to design games for health: Development study. JMIR Serious Games. 9(4). Article e29964. https://doi.org/10.2196/29964.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2196/29964

Interpretive Summary: The success of games for health is dependent on achieving both game and health objectives. At present there is little guidance regarding how to design a game-based approach promoting health behavior change. This research presents a theory-informed game design framework that combines the science of behavior change with the art of game design. Designing more effective games for health behavior change may lead to greater engagement, and thus, greather health behavior change in children and older populations.

Technical Abstract: Games for health are a promising approach to health promotion. Their success depends on achieving both experiential (game) and instrumental (health) objectives. There is little to guide game for health (G4H) designers in integrating the science of behavior change with the art of game design. The aim of this study is to extend the Behaviour Change Wheel program planning model to develop Challenges for Healthy Aging: Leveraging Limits for Engaging Networked Game-Based Exercise (CHALLENGE), a G4H centered on increasing physical activity in insufficiently active older women. We present and apply the G4H Mechanics, Experiences, and Change (MECHA) process, which supplements the Behaviour Change Wheel program planning model. The additional steps are centered on identifying target G4H player experiences and corresponding game mechanics to help game designers integrate design elements and G4H objectives into behavioral interventions. We identified a target behavior of increasing moderate-intensity walking among insufficiently active older women and key psychosocial determinants of this behavior from self-determination theory (eg, autonomy). We used MECHA to map these constructs to intervention functions (eg, persuasion) and G4H target player experiences (eg, captivation). Next, we identified behavior change techniques (eg, framing or reframing) and specific game mechanics (eg, transforming) to help realize intervention functions and elicit targeted player experiences. MECHA can help researchers map specific linkages between distal intervention objectives and more proximal game design mechanics in games for health. This can facilitate G4H program planning, evaluation, and clearer scientific communication.