Fantasy, facts and fun: Digital health games for impact and implementation

Authors: DESMET, ANN - Free University Of Brussels; BARANOWSKI, TOM - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC); Thompson, Deborah; LU, AMY - Northeastern University

Submitted to: Book Chapter
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/23/2023
Publication Date: 1/14/2025
Citation: DeSmet, A., Baranowski, T., Thompson, D.J., Lu, A.S. 2025. Fantasy, facts and fun: Digital health games for impact and implementation. In: de Bruijn, G.J., Vandebosch, H., editors. Health, Media, and Communication. Berlin, Boston: De Gruyter Mouton. Chapter 15, p.287-308. https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110775426-016.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110775426-016

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Digital games have become a recognized and valued option in the health professionals' toolbox when promoting healthy behaviors in a fun and engaging manner. Despite their effectiveness, the implementation of games in real life is limited by cost, lack of varied and relevant expertise, and time. This chapter aims to provide an overview of the state-of-the-art insights of how digital games influence health and health behaviors and address key issues in their development and deployment. After defining "serious digital games for health" (referred to as G4H) and related concepts, such as serious games and gamification, we discuss some of the broad domains where G4H are applied, including health promotion, disease prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation, including a selection of health topics to illustrate their use. Next, we discuss potential mechanisms and theories used to design G4H and possible mechanisms (mediators) explaining their effects on psychological (e.g., self-efficacy), behavioral (e.g., self-monitoring), physiological (e.g., heart rate) and clinical outcomes (e.g., body mass index). Since G4H derive their strength from being fun and evidence-based, this chapter presents multidisciplinary mechanisms and theories regarding engagement, communication, and behavior change. We then discuss the process of G4H design and research, including interdisciplinary collaboration, participatory development with end-users and stakeholders, cost-effective design approaches, and recommendations for mixed-method, high-quality game research. The chapter concludes with a discussion of challenges often encountered when developing G4H and future directions to advance the field of games and their implementation in practice.