Lindsay R Duncan1,2, Kimberly D Hieftje2, Tyra M Pendergrass2, Benjamin G Sawyer3, Lynn E Fiellin2,4. 1. a Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education , McGill University , Montreal , Quebec , Canada. 2. b Yale Center for Health & Learning Games and play2PREVENT Lab, Yale University School of Medicine , New Haven , Connecticut , USA. 3. c Digitalmill Inc. , Freeport , Maine , USA. 4. d Yale Child Study Center, Yale University , New Haven , Connecticut , USA.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Videogames are becoming increasingly popular to deliver health interventions; however, their role in the primary prevention of cigarette and marijuana use has not yet been evaluated. The purpose of this study was to conduct a preliminary test of the efficacy of a role-playing videogame prototype, smokeSCREEN, aimed at developing knowledge and behavioral skills associated with primary prevention of cigarette and marijuana use. The authors also explored participants' gameplay experience. METHODS: This study employed a 1-group pretest-posttest design with 25 adolescent boys and girls aged 11 to 14 years (Mage = 11.56, SD = 0.77) who had never tried cigarettes or marijuana. Participants played four 1-hour gameplay sessions over a 2-week period. Assessments of knowledge, self-efficacy, attitudes, perceived norms, and intentions related to cigarette and marijuana prevention were collected at baseline and 2-week and 12-week follow-ups. Ratings of gameplay experience were collected after the 2 weeks of gameplay. One-way repeated-measures analyses of variance (ANOVAs) were conducted. RESULTS: Findings are (1) improvements in knowledge for both cigarette (Wilks' λ = 0.62, F(2, 23) = 7.21, P = .004) and marijuana (Wilks' λ = 0.67, F(2, 23) = 5.75, P = .009) use from pre- to post-gameplay that were characterized by large effects; and (2) nonsignificant trends in the expected direction emerged for changes in self-efficacy and perceived norms related to both cigarettes and marijuana that were characterized by medium-large effects. Overall, the players provided positive reports of their experience with the smokeSCREEN videogame prototype. CONCLUSIONS: These findings provide preliminary evidence that a videogame has the potential to influence key cognitive and motivational variables and can be an engaging means to deliver a cigarette and marijuana prevention intervention.
BACKGROUND: Videogames are becoming increasingly popular to deliver health interventions; however, their role in the primary prevention of cigarette and marijuana use has not yet been evaluated. The purpose of this study was to conduct a preliminary test of the efficacy of a role-playing videogame prototype, smokeSCREEN, aimed at developing knowledge and behavioral skills associated with primary prevention of cigarette and marijuana use. The authors also explored participants' gameplay experience. METHODS: This study employed a 1-group pretest-posttest design with 25 adolescent boys and girls aged 11 to 14 years (Mage = 11.56, SD = 0.77) who had never tried cigarettes or marijuana. Participants played four 1-hour gameplay sessions over a 2-week period. Assessments of knowledge, self-efficacy, attitudes, perceived norms, and intentions related to cigarette and marijuana prevention were collected at baseline and 2-week and 12-week follow-ups. Ratings of gameplay experience were collected after the 2 weeks of gameplay. One-way repeated-measures analyses of variance (ANOVAs) were conducted. RESULTS: Findings are (1) improvements in knowledge for both cigarette (Wilks' λ = 0.62, F(2, 23) = 7.21, P = .004) and marijuana (Wilks' λ = 0.67, F(2, 23) = 5.75, P = .009) use from pre- to post-gameplay that were characterized by large effects; and (2) nonsignificant trends in the expected direction emerged for changes in self-efficacy and perceived norms related to both cigarettes and marijuana that were characterized by medium-large effects. Overall, the players provided positive reports of their experience with the smokeSCREEN videogame prototype. CONCLUSIONS: These findings provide preliminary evidence that a videogame has the potential to influence key cognitive and motivational variables and can be an engaging means to deliver a cigarette and marijuana prevention intervention.
Authors: Lynn E Fiellin; Tassos C Kyriakides; Kimberly D Hieftje; Tyra M Pendergrass; Lindsay R Duncan; James D Dziura; Benjamin G Sawyer; David A Fiellin Journal: Clin Trials Date: 2016-03-24 Impact factor: 2.486
Authors: Laura Kann; Tim McManus; William A Harris; Shari L Shanklin; Katherine H Flint; Joseph Hawkins; Barbara Queen; Richard Lowry; Emily O'Malley Olsen; David Chyen; Lisa Whittle; Jemekia Thornton; Connie Lim; Yoshimi Yamakawa; Nancy Brener; Stephanie Zaza Journal: MMWR Surveill Summ Date: 2016-06-10
Authors: M E Derksen; S van Strijp; A E Kunst; J G Daams; M W M Jaspers; M P Fransen Journal: J Am Med Inform Assoc Date: 2020-05-01 Impact factor: 4.497