The DOI matches its Crossref record; 130 of the 143 references it cites were found in a registry or an index; none of the 36 sources its claims cite is checked for support yet.
A meta-analysis of serious digital games for healthy lifestyle promotion
Open accessAbstract
Several systematic reviews have described health-promoting effects of serious games but so far no meta-analysis has been reported. This paper presents a meta-analysis of 54 serious digital game studies for healthy lifestyle promotion, in which we investigated the overall effectiveness of serious digital games on healthy lifestyle promotion outcomes and the role of theoretically and clinically important moderators. Findings showed serious games have small positive effects on healthy lifestyles (g=0.260, 95% CI 0.148; 0.373) and their determinants (g=0.334, 95% CI 0.260; 0.407), especially for knowledge. Effects on clinical outcomes were significant, but much smaller (g=0.079, 95% CI 0.038; 0.120). Long-term effects were maintained for all outcomes except for behavior. Serious games are best individually tailored to both socio-demographic and change need information, and benefit from a strong focus on game theories or a dual theoretical foundation in both behavioral prediction and game theories. They can be effective either as a stand-alone or multi-component programs, and appeal to populations regardless of age and gender. Given that effects of games remain heterogeneous, further exploration of which game features create larger effects are needed.
Overview
AI snapshot
Written from the paper’s full text.
TL;DR
This first meta-analysis of serious digital games for healthy lifestyle promotion found small positive effects on behavior and its determinants and very small effects on clinical outcomes. Effects were largest for knowledge, maintained at follow-up except for behavior, and moderated by tailoring and theoretical basis.
Key findings
- Across 54 papers and 61 game evaluations, serious games improved healthy lifestyle behavior (g=0.260, 95% CI 0.148–0.373, n=314,790, k=21) and behavioral determinants (g=0.334, 95% CI 0.260–0.407, n=19,934, k=50); clinical outcomes had a very small significant effect (g=0.079, 95% CI 0.038–0.120, n=9,367, k=10).
- At second post-test, behavior effects were smaller and failed to reach significance (p=.07), while determinants and clinical outcomes remained significant and of similar magnitude; knowledge had the largest determinant effects and approximated a moderate effect at follow-up.
- Tailoring was a significant moderator only for determinants: games tailored to both socio-demographic and change-need information had higher effects than games tailored only to change needs/stages of adoption. A dual theoretical foundation in game-based learning and behavioral prediction theories related to higher determinant effects than behavioral prediction theories alone.
- Implementation method, age, gender, and study quality were not significant moderators. Heterogeneity was high for behavior and determinants, and publication bias could not be ruled out for determinants (Egger’s test t(48)=6.042, p<.001; trim-and-fill adjusted g=0.179, 95% CI 0.104–0.254).
Methods
- Systematic search of Pubmed, Web of Science, Cinahl, and PsycInfo through July 2013, plus hand-searching and author contact; 7,192 hits yielded 54 included papers, assessing 52 games in 61 evaluations.
- Random-effects Hedges’ g was used, with mixed-effects moderator analyses, Cochran’s Q and I² for heterogeneity, meta-regression for continuous moderators, and sensitivity analyses for outliers, pre-test–post-test correlations, and publication bias.
- Primary outcomes were behavior, knowledge, behavioral intentions, perceived barriers, skills, attitudes, subjective norm, and self-efficacy; clinical outcomes were secondary. Study quality was assessed with EPHPP; interrater reliability was ICC=0.90 for coding and ICC=0.98 for quality.
Limitations
- Stated: “no evidence for an effect” does not equal “evidence for no effect”; some analyses were likely underpowered (e.g., mental health, social behavior, clinical outcomes). Other factors such as game features were not included and may explain heterogeneity. Publication bias is a concern, and analyses were limited by information available in manuscripts and from researchers. The review included various health behaviors that may be difficult to compare.
- Evident from the text: heterogeneity was high for behavior and determinants; some moderator categories had fewer than 3 studies and were not analyzed (e.g., tailoring by socio-demographic information only); only one game for the elderly was included, and subjective norms were measured in only one study.
Model-written summary. Check it against the paper before relying on it.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Verification
Claims the paper makes
45 Own result · 26 Not checked yet · 10 No basis given · 9 Own method · 6 Own interpretation
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“This was, however, the opposite at second post-test: here the greater the time elapsed until post-test measurement, the smaller the effect size for behavior”
§ A Meta-Analysis of Serious Digital Games for Healthy Lifestyle Promotion > Results > Influence of study, sample and game characteristics as moderators of game effectiveness
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- The authors state this as an assumption: The pre-test-post-test correlation is 0.50 for effect size calculation.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“There were no significant differences in average effect size on behavior nor on its determinants or clinical outcome by health domain.”
- Also stated in: § Effectiveness of games in changing healthy lifestyles · plain
“No significant heterogeneity was observed between games’ effects in different health domains.”
§ A Meta-Analysis of Serious Digital Games for Healthy Lifestyle Promotion > Results > Effectiveness of games in changing healthy lifestyles
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- The authors state this as an assumption: The pre-test-post-test correlation is 0.50 for effect size calculation.
- Also stated in: § Effectiveness of games in changing healthy lifestyles · plain
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“and their determinants (g=0.334, 95% CI 0.260; 0.407), especially for knowledge.”
- Also stated in: § Effectiveness of games in changing healthy lifestyles · plain
“For behavioral determinants, average effect size was similarly small (g=0.334 (95% CI 0.260; 0.407), n=19934, k=50)”
- Also stated in: § Discussion · plain
“improved antecedents that determine adoption (g=0.334, 95% CI 0.260; 0.407)”
§ A Meta-Analysis of Serious Digital Games for Healthy Lifestyle Promotion > Abstract
plaindirectn = 19,934- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- The authors state this as an assumption: The pre-test-post-test correlation is 0.50 for effect size calculation.
- Also stated in: § Effectiveness of games in changing healthy lifestyles · plain
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“The elapsed time between the last time the game was played and when the outcome was measured, was a significant moderator in the games’ effects, but only for behavior. More specifically, the greater the amount of time between the last game play and first post-test for behavior, the larger the effect size (Table 8).”
§ A Meta-Analysis of Serious Digital Games for Healthy Lifestyle Promotion > Results > Influence of study, sample and game characteristics as moderators of game effectiveness
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- The authors state this as an assumption: The pre-test-post-test correlation is 0.50 for effect size calculation.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“This inverse relation between time and effect was also true for behavioral determinants (Table 8).”
§ A Meta-Analysis of Serious Digital Games for Healthy Lifestyle Promotion > Results > Influence of study, sample and game characteristics as moderators of game effectiveness
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- The authors state this as an assumption: The pre-test-post-test correlation is 0.50 for effect size calculation.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“None of the other study characteristics were significant moderators in the average effects on behavior, determinants or clinical outcomes.”
§ A Meta-Analysis of Serious Digital Games for Healthy Lifestyle Promotion > Results > Influence of study, sample and game characteristics as moderators of game effectiveness
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- The authors state this as an assumption: The pre-test-post-test correlation is 0.50 for effect size calculation.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“For behavioral determinants, games tailored only by change needs or stages of adoption had a lower effect size than games which were not tailored or tailored to both socio-demographics and change needs.”
§ A Meta-Analysis of Serious Digital Games for Healthy Lifestyle Promotion > Results > Influence of study, sample and game characteristics as moderators of game effectiveness
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- The authors state this as an assumption: The pre-test-post-test correlation is 0.50 for effect size calculation.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Implementation method was not a significant moderator of game effectiveness for either behavior, determinants or clinical outcomes (Table 5–7).”
§ A Meta-Analysis of Serious Digital Games for Healthy Lifestyle Promotion > Results > Influence of study, sample and game characteristics as moderators of game effectiveness
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- The authors state this as an assumption: The pre-test-post-test correlation is 0.50 for effect size calculation.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“For behavior, games evaluated in a post-test only control groups design had a lower average effect size (borderline significant) than games evaluated in other study designs (Table 5).”
§ A Meta-Analysis of Serious Digital Games for Healthy Lifestyle Promotion > Results > Influence of study, sample and game characteristics as moderators of game effectiveness
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- The authors state this as an assumption: The pre-test-post-test correlation is 0.50 for effect size calculation.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“In our review, effects on self-efficacy were unexpectedly small.”
§ A Meta-Analysis of Serious Digital Games for Healthy Lifestyle Promotion > Discussion
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- It may state two separate claims as one. 24
- Probably not a substantial claim. 19
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Using Duval’s and Tweedie’s Trim and Fill approach to impute missing studies to the left of the mean, adjusted average g for behavioral determinants was reduced to g=0.179 (95% CI 0.104; 0.254) but remained significant.”
§ A Meta-Analysis of Serious Digital Games for Healthy Lifestyle Promotion > Results > Effectiveness of games in changing healthy lifestyles
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
- The authors state this as an assumption: The pre-test-post-test correlation is 0.50 for effect size calculation.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Among specific behavioral determinants, the largest effects were found for improvement in knowledge and attitudes; however, all effect sizes were small.”
§ A Meta-Analysis of Serious Digital Games for Healthy Lifestyle Promotion > Results > Influence of study, sample and game characteristics as moderators of game effectiveness
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
- The authors state this as an assumption: The pre-test-post-test correlation is 0.50 for effect size calculation.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“The type of theoretical foundation significantly affected effectiveness for behavioral determinants, but not for behavior or clinical outcomes (Table 5–7).”
§ A Meta-Analysis of Serious Digital Games for Healthy Lifestyle Promotion > Results > Influence of study, sample and game characteristics as moderators of game effectiveness
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
- The authors state this as an assumption: The pre-test-post-test correlation is 0.50 for effect size calculation.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Neither the average age of participants nor the percentage of women in the sample was a significant moderator on game effectiveness on behavior, determinants or clinical outcomes (note: only one game for the elderly was included) (Table 8).”
§ A Meta-Analysis of Serious Digital Games for Healthy Lifestyle Promotion > Results > Influence of study, sample and game characteristics as moderators of game effectiveness
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
- The authors state this as an assumption: The pre-test-post-test correlation is 0.50 for effect size calculation.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Funnel plot and Egger’s Test (t(48)=6.042, p<.001) indicated publication bias could not be ruled out for effects on behavioral determinants with a tendency for smaller published studies to report higher effect sizes.”
§ A Meta-Analysis of Serious Digital Games for Healthy Lifestyle Promotion > Results > Effectiveness of games in changing healthy lifestyles
hedgedcorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
- The authors state this as an assumption: The pre-test-post-test correlation is 0.50 for effect size calculation.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Individual tailoring was only a significant moderator for the effects on behavioral determinants, but not for behavior or clinical outcomes (Table 5–7).”
§ A Meta-Analysis of Serious Digital Games for Healthy Lifestyle Promotion > Results > Influence of study, sample and game characteristics as moderators of game effectiveness
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
- The authors state this as an assumption: The pre-test-post-test correlation is 0.50 for effect size calculation.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Both forms of implementation had significant average effect sizes for behavioral determinants and clinical outcomes. Average effects on behavior of stand-alone games however showed only a trend to significance.”
§ A Meta-Analysis of Serious Digital Games for Healthy Lifestyle Promotion > Results > Influence of study, sample and game characteristics as moderators of game effectiveness
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
- The authors state this as an assumption: The pre-test-post-test correlation is 0.50 for effect size calculation.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Games based purely on behavioral prediction theories had the lowest average effect size. Their effects were however still significant (Table 6).”
§ A Meta-Analysis of Serious Digital Games for Healthy Lifestyle Promotion > Results > Influence of study, sample and game characteristics as moderators of game effectiveness
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
- The authors state this as an assumption: The pre-test-post-test correlation is 0.50 for effect size calculation.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“The quality of the study did not significantly affect the effectiveness for behavior, determinants or clinical outcomes (Table 5–7).”
§ A Meta-Analysis of Serious Digital Games for Healthy Lifestyle Promotion > Results > Influence of study, sample and game characteristics as moderators of game effectiveness
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
- The authors state this as an assumption: The pre-test-post-test correlation is 0.50 for effect size calculation.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“For effects on behavior (t(19)=1.51, p=0.07) and on clinical outcomes (t(8)=0.762, p=0.233), Egger’s Test on publication bias was not significant.”
§ A Meta-Analysis of Serious Digital Games for Healthy Lifestyle Promotion > Results > Effectiveness of games in changing healthy lifestyles
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
- The authors state this as an assumption: The pre-test-post-test correlation is 0.50 for effect size calculation.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“There was high heterogeneity between games’ effects for behavior and behavioral determinants, both at first post-test and at follow-up test, but not for clinical outcomes.”
§ A Meta-Analysis of Serious Digital Games for Healthy Lifestyle Promotion > Results > Effectiveness of games in changing healthy lifestyles
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
- The authors state this as an assumption: The pre-test-post-test correlation is 0.50 for effect size calculation.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“For behavioral determinants and clinical outcomes, average effect size at second post-test measurement was significant and of similar magnitude as at first post-measurement (Table 3).”
- Also stated in: § Abstract · plain
“Long-term effects were maintained for all outcomes except for behavior.”
§ A Meta-Analysis of Serious Digital Games for Healthy Lifestyle Promotion > Results > Effectiveness of games in changing healthy lifestyles
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
- The authors state this as an assumption: The pre-test-post-test correlation is 0.50 for effect size calculation.
- Also stated in: § Abstract · plain
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Average effect size for behavior at second post-test measurement was smaller than at first post-intervention measurement and failed to reach significance (p=.07).”
- Also stated in: § Discussion · plain
“Although effects at follow-up measurement were significant and positive for most outcomes, they were smaller than at the immediate post-measurement, and failed to reach significance for behavior.”
§ A Meta-Analysis of Serious Digital Games for Healthy Lifestyle Promotion > Results > Effectiveness of games in changing healthy lifestyles
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
- The authors state this as an assumption: The pre-test-post-test correlation is 0.50 for effect size calculation.
- Also stated in: § Discussion · plain
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“At second post-test, average effect size remained highest for knowledge and approximated a moderate effect size, but average effects were smaller for other behavioral determinants compared to first post-measurement (with the exception of subjective norms, measured in only one study) (Table 4).”
§ A Meta-Analysis of Serious Digital Games for Healthy Lifestyle Promotion > Results > Influence of study, sample and game characteristics as moderators of game effectiveness
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
- The authors state this as an assumption: The pre-test-post-test correlation is 0.50 for effect size calculation.
The paper states this without a source or data behind it here, so there is nothing to check it against. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“As yet, no meta-analysis of serious games for healthy lifestyle promotion has been reported.”
§ A Meta-Analysis of Serious Digital Games for Healthy Lifestyle Promotion > Introduction
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: fails — The paper may give no reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper may give no reason why it holds.
The paper states this without a source or data behind it here, so there is nothing to check it against. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Often game studies briefly mentioned which theoretical foundation was used, but not how theoretical techniques were applied to address the target outcome.”
§ A Meta-Analysis of Serious Digital Games for Healthy Lifestyle Promotion > Discussion
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. It may state two separate claims as one.
The paper states this without a source or data behind it here, so there is nothing to check it against. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“They were effective either as a stand-alone or multi-component program”
§ A Meta-Analysis of Serious Digital Games for Healthy Lifestyle Promotion > Conclusions
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“suggesting a curvilinear relation, in which a minimal time is needed to practice the behavior at first post-test to have effects, but where a longer follow-up time showed smaller effects on behavior.”
§ A Meta-Analysis of Serious Digital Games for Healthy Lifestyle Promotion > Results > Influence of study, sample and game characteristics as moderators of game effectiveness
hedgedcorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“as was the case for self-efficacy, which is another determinant with a strong association with behavior change (Bartholomew, Parcel, Kok, Gottlieb, & Fernàndez 2011).”
§ A Meta-Analysis of Serious Digital Games for Healthy Lifestyle Promotion > Discussion
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Bartholomew, Parcel, Kok, Gottlieb, & Fernàndez 2011
boostedcorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“Games are thought to provide a good medium for increasing self-efficacy as they offer the opportunity for enactive experience in a safe environment, without real-life consequences to making wrong decisions (Peng 2008;Prensky 2007).”
§ A Meta-Analysis of Serious Digital Games for Healthy Lifestyle Promotion > Discussion
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Peng 2008 source
- Not checked yetcites Prensky 2007
hedgedconditional- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“Many other game characteristics (e.g. use of a narrative, challenge in the game, co-design, scaffolding levels) (Kapp 2012;Lu, Baranowski, Thompson, & Buday 2012) may influence game effectiveness and may be applied differently in stand-alone or multi-component games.”
§ A Meta-Analysis of Serious Digital Games for Healthy Lifestyle Promotion > Discussion
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Kapp 2012
- Not checked yetcites Lu, Baranowski, Thompson, & Buday 2012
hedgedconditional- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. It may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“Other studies have indeed reported that the terminology of theories is not used in a consistent manner across interventions and that one term may be used to represent different techniques, as well as that different labels may be used for the same technique (Michie et al. 2011a).”
§ A Meta-Analysis of Serious Digital Games for Healthy Lifestyle Promotion > Discussion
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Michie et al. 2011a
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. It may state two separate claims as one.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Interpretation and application of theories may therefore have been different across game studies.”
§ A Meta-Analysis of Serious Digital Games for Healthy Lifestyle Promotion > Discussion
hedged- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“It appeared insufficient to tailor games only to behavioral change needs, instead games are best tailored by both socio-demographic information (e.g. age, gender, body frame) and behavioral change needs (e.g. current level of lifestyle adoption, already acquired knowledge, stages of change, or motivation).”
§ A Meta-Analysis of Serious Digital Games for Healthy Lifestyle Promotion > Discussion
hedgeddirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“For one study (Jantz et al. 2002) the effect size of one outcome exceeded the outlier threshold; this outcome was hence removed from the analyses.”
§ A Meta-Analysis of Serious Digital Games for Healthy Lifestyle Promotion > Results > Effectiveness of games in changing healthy lifestyles
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Jantz et al. 2002 source
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. It may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“For computer-tailored interventions, the use of self-regulation theories has been recommended to improve effectiveness (Lustria, Cortese, Noar, & Glueckauf 2009).”
§ A Meta-Analysis of Serious Digital Games for Healthy Lifestyle Promotion > Discussion
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Lustria, Cortese, Noar, & Glueckauf 2009 source
plainconditional- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“Methods used in non-game healthy lifestyle interventions to maintain a long-term effect on behavior were providing reinforcement throughout follow-up, having booster sessions, sending tailored reminders, using self-regulation and anticipatory coping techniques to deal with potential relapse, integrating Motivational Interviewing techniques and creating healthy-behavior-facilitating changes in the”
§ A Meta-Analysis of Serious Digital Games for Healthy Lifestyle Promotion > Discussion
What the sources say
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“For games, dynamic tailoring has been recommended based on the difficulty level the player can master (e.g. via providing hints when the challenge is too hard), to ensure flow and to provide all players with an optimal level of challenge (Charles et al. 2005;Wilson et al. 2009).”
§ A Meta-Analysis of Serious Digital Games for Healthy Lifestyle Promotion > Discussion
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Charles et al. 2005
- Not checked yetcites Wilson et al. 2009 source
plainconditional- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
In the paper
“while leisure games are played 7 hours per week on average (Boyle, Connolly, Hainey, & Boyle 2012).”
§ A Meta-Analysis of Serious Digital Games for Healthy Lifestyle Promotion > Discussion
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Boyle, Connolly, Hainey, & Boyle 2012
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
What the paper did — it cites no source for this, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“These were coded separately in our meta-analyses, singling out effect of intervention duration versus duration until measurement.”
§ A Meta-Analysis of Serious Digital Games for Healthy Lifestyle Promotion > Discussion
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim.
In the paper
“They reported that interventions lasting fewer than 12 weeks more often achieved their objectives than interventions lasting longer.”
§ A Meta-Analysis of Serious Digital Games for Healthy Lifestyle Promotion > Discussion
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Primack, Carroll, McNamara, Klem, King, Rich, Chan, & Nayak 2012
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
In the paper
“Decreasing risky behavior may be harder to achieve than increasing health-promoting behavior (Adriaanse et al. 2011).”
§ A Meta-Analysis of Serious Digital Games for Healthy Lifestyle Promotion > Limitations
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Adriaanse et al. 2011 source
hedgedconditional- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
What the paper did — it cites no source for this, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Our meta-analysis did not distinguish between reducing unhealthy behavior or increasing healthy actions.”
§ A Meta-Analysis of Serious Digital Games for Healthy Lifestyle Promotion > Limitations
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
What the paper did — it cites no source for this, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“These features were not included here.”
§ A Meta-Analysis of Serious Digital Games for Healthy Lifestyle Promotion > Limitations
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
What the paper did — it cites no source for this, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Lastly, this review included various types of health behaviors, which may be difficult to compare.”
§ A Meta-Analysis of Serious Digital Games for Healthy Lifestyle Promotion > Limitations
hedgedconditional- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. It may state two separate claims as one.
What the paper did — it cites no source for this, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Third, publication bias is always a concern: reported effect sizes may be overestimated (e.g. behavioral determinants).”
§ A Meta-Analysis of Serious Digital Games for Healthy Lifestyle Promotion > Limitations
hedgedconditional- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: fails — The paper may give no reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. The paper may give no reason why it holds. It may state two separate claims as one.
What the paper did — it cites no source for this, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“The analyses were furthermore limited by the information available in the manuscripts and that additionally obtained from the researchers.”
§ A Meta-Analysis of Serious Digital Games for Healthy Lifestyle Promotion > Limitations
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
The authors state this as an assumption.
The pre-test-post-test correlation is 0.50 for effect size calculation.
“pre-test-post-test correlations set lower (0.20) and higher (0.80) than the standard assumption of 0.50”
The paper relies on this without support.
The theoretical foundation categories coded from the primary studies accurately represent the theories actually used in those games.
“Often game studies briefly mentioned which theoretical foundation was used, but not how theoretical techniques were applied to address the target outcome.”
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
The source backs part of the claim, not all of it — or backs it for a different population, condition or comparison.
In the citing paper
“The most comparable serious games for health meta-analysis in terms of inclusion and exclusion criteria is DeSmet et al. (2014), which found 53 studies published between 1989 and 2013 (avg. 2 studies/year).”
From Gamification for health and wellbeing: A systematic review of the literature (2016) · cites this paper as DeSmet et al. (2014)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredIn the citing paper
“Although the scientific evaluation of serious games precludes making conclusive statements about their impact on “real-world” behaviors, several controlled trials of serious games have shown to affect these behaviors in diverse patient groups [42].”
In the citing paper
“A zeitgeist has emerged in the medical and educational fields for applied or “serious” games as tools for enhancing medical care [58-61].”
From Use of the Principles of Design Thinking to Address Limitations of Digital Mental Health Interventions for Youth: Viewpoint (2019) · cites this paper as [59]
Statistics recomputed
Every reported test result, recomputed from its test statistic and degrees of freedom. A result shows as not adding up only once an independent check has confirmed it.
- Not confirmedt(19) = 1.51reported p = .07 · recomputed p = .147
“t(19)=1.51, p = .07”
- Not confirmedt(8) = 0.762reported p = .233 · recomputed p = .468
“t(8)=0.762, p = .233”
- Consistentt(48) = 6.042reported p < .001 · recomputed p < .001
“t(48)=6.042, p < .001”
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
Each contradiction between two passages listed here was confirmed by an independent check.
Rated minor: it would not touch a result — a value no result rests on, a p-value that stays on the same side of the significance level, or a conflict that is clerical, resolved elsewhere in the paper, or outside its own findings.
In the paper
§ A Meta-Analysis of Serious Digital Games for Healthy Lifestyle Promotion > Abstract
“Effects on clinical outcomes were significant, but much smaller (g=0.079, 95% CI 0.038; 0.120).”
§ A Meta-Analysis of Serious Digital Games for Healthy Lifestyle Promotion > Results > Effectiveness of games in changing healthy lifestyles
“the average effect size on clinical outcomes was very small, but significant (g=0.079 (95% CI 0.039; 0.120), n=9367, k=10)”
Citations
Cites
Statistical Power Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences
Muller, K. E., & Cohen, J. (1989) · Technometrics · doi:10.2307/1270020 · Cited by 99,603
Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences
Cohen, J. (1990) · Computers Environment and Urban Systems · doi:10.1016/0198-9715(90)90050-4 · Cited by 65,417
Measuring inconsistency in meta-analyses
Higgins, J. P. T., Thompson, S. G., Deeks, J. J., & Altman, D. G. (2003) · BMJ · doi:10.1136/bmj.327.7414.557 · Cited by 63,139
Michie, S., van Stralen, M. M., & West, R. (2011) · Implementation Science · doi:10.1186/1748-5908-6-42 · Cited by 13,697 · cited 2×
“Other studies have indeed reported that the terminology of theories is not used in a consistent manner across interventions and that one term may be used to represent different techniques, as well as that different labels may be used for the same technique (Michie et al., 2011a).”
BackgroundMethodBorenstein, M., Hedges, L. V., Higgins, J. P. T., & Rothstein, H. R. (2021) · doi:10.1002/9781119558378 · Cited by 9,799
Foundations of Clinical Research: Applications to Practice,
(2002) · Survey of Ophthalmology · doi:10.1016/s0039-6257(02)00362-4 · Cited by 9,494
Distribution Theory for Glass's Estimator of Effect Size and Related Estimators
Hedges, L. V. (1981) · Journal of Educational Statistics · doi:10.2307/1164588 · Cited by 5,695 · cited 1×
“Random-effects Hedges' g was applied to indicate effect size, correcting for small sample sizes (Hedges, 1981).”
MethodLopez, A. D., Mathers, C. D., Ezzati, M., Jamison, D. T., & Murray, C. J. (2006) · The Lancet · doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(06)68770-9 · Cited by 5,630 · cited 1×
“…lifestyles comprise an array of potentially modifiable behaviors that can prevent a wide range of diseases, such as some cancers, cardiovascular diseases, stroke, dementia, mental illness, and diabetes (Fratiglioni et al., 2004; Kim et al., 2012; Lopez et al., 2006; Peel et al., 2005).”
BackgroundKapp, K. M. (2012) · Cited by 3,753
How should meta‐regression analyses be undertaken and interpreted?
Thompson, S. G., & Higgins, J. P. T. (2002) · Statistics in Medicine · doi:10.1002/sim.1187 · Cited by 3,026 · cited 1×
“Meta-regression (methods-of-moments procedure) was performed for continuous moderators (Thompson and Higgins, 2002), where the slope ( β ) and its p-value indicated the importance of this moderator in understanding linear changes in effect sizes.”
Method
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Items 201–300 of 428
Schakel, L., Veldhuijzen, D. S., van Middendorp, H., Prins, C., Joosten, S. A., Ottenhoff, T. H. M., Visser, L. G., & Evers, A. W. M. (2017) · Trials · doi:10.1186/s13063-017-1983-7 · Cited by 8
“Serious games can also have beneficial effects on factors that are considered important for a healthy lifestyle in general such as healthy food choices and physical activity [17].”
BackgroundThe Design and Application of Game Rewards in Youth Addiction Care
van Dooren, M. M. M., Visch, V., & Spijkerman, R. (2019) · Information · doi:10.3390/info10040126 · Cited by 9
“Research has shown that applying game elements in a serious context can positively influence health-related problems and behaviors [15,16], such as anxiety management [17], physical therapeutic exercise and fitness [18,19], burn pain management [20], diabetes [21], and asthma [22].”
BackgroundVugts, M. A. P., Joosen, M. C. W., Mert, A., Zedlitz, A. M. E. E., & Vrijhoef, H. J. (2017) · BMJ Open · doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2017-016394 · Cited by 6
“2 Serious (health) games primarily target promotion of health benefits.(3) A new serious game, called LAKA, aims to facilitate patient learning about living with complex chronic somatic complaints.”
InfluentialMitsis, K., Zarkogianni, K., Dalakleidi, K. V., Mourkousis, G., & Nikita, K. S. (2019) · IEEE International Conference on Bioinformatics and Bioengineering (BIBE) · doi:10.1109/bibe.2019.00096 · Cited by 9
“These preliminary results are in line with previous reports demonstrating serious game effectiveness as an educational tool [21].”
ResultEgashira, M., Son, D., & Ema, A. (2021) · JMIR Serious Games · doi:10.2196/28982 · Cited by 8
“Many studies [18-20] have reported on the development of serious games based on theory of planned behavior that target chronic diseases or disease prevention and have mainly focusing on the game design and the interventions.”
BackgroundPanattil, S. J., George, A., & Joy, M. M. (2021) · Health Marketing Quarterly · doi:10.1080/07359683.2021.1995639 · Cited by 8
“Such platforms have been used for health and wellness promotion (DeSmet et al., 2014; Middelweerd et al., 2014), physical rehabilitation and management of diseases (Mart (cid:1) ı nez-P (cid:1) erez et al., 2013; Theng et al., 2015) and education and training of healthcare and medical professionals…”
MethodThe untapped potential of Games for Health in times of crises. A critical reflection
Dadaczynski, K., Tolks, D., Wrona, K. J., McCall, T., & Fischer, F. (2023) · Frontiers in Public Health · doi:10.3389/fpubh.2023.1140665 · Cited by 7
“Existing reviews revealed positive small to moderate effects of gamification and serious games for health on behavioral determinants (e.g., knowledge) (11), health behaviors (e.g., physical activity, nutrition) (11, 12) or mental health (e.g., improvement of symptoms and wellbeing) (9, 13).”
BackgroundA Medical Serious Games Framework Hierarchy for Validity
Mert, A., Nijboer, T. C. W., Doyen, B., et al. (2018) · International Conference on Virtual Worlds and Games for Serious Applications (VS-Games) · doi:10.1109/vs-games.2018.8493405 · Cited by 7
“In general, positive effects of serious gaming in health care are very small [3].”
BackgroundSkogberg, M., Mackiewicz, K., Mänd, K., Tuuling, L., Urdziņa-Merca, I., Salanterä, S., & Pakarinen, A. (2022) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0265355 · Cited by 7
“Evidence suggests that health games and gamified apps have positive effects on children’s health and wellbeing [40], their health behaviors [41, 42] and their health-related knowledge [43].”
BackgroundHuang, Z., Tang, W. E., Guo, H., Natarajan, K., Lee, T. H., Yeo, T. W., & Chow, A. L. (2023) · JMIR Research Protocols · doi:10.2196/45833 · Cited by 6
“Based on 2 meta-analyses, the effect size of serious games on improving the knowledge of chronic disease management among young people is 0.361 (95% CI 0.098-0.624) [26] and healthy lifestyle promotion in general is 0.334 (95% CI 0.260-0.407) [27].”
InfluentialPrevention of violence against LGBTIQ+ youth: A systematic review of successful strategies
Christou, M., Gairal‐Casadó, R., Carbonell, S., & Vidu, A. (2024) · International Journal of Educational Research · doi:10.1016/j.ijer.2024.102320 · Cited by 10
Hong, T. J., Cabrera, J., & Beaudoin, C. E. (2020) · Journal of Medical Internet Research · doi:10.2196/21652 · Cited by 7
“the behavioral outcomes of serious health games may diminish with time [19].”
BackgroundInfluentialOtero, P., Cotardo, T., Blanco, V., & Vázquez, F. L. (2021) · Games for Health Journal · doi:10.1089/g4h.2020.0165 · Cited by 7
“19 Nowadays is feasible to administer psychological interventions aimed at the adult population through this digital format because a significant percentage of them are digitally connected.”
SOCKOLOW, P. S., Buck, H. G., & Shadmi, E. (2021) · Health Informatics Journal · doi:10.1177/14604582211043914 · Cited by 9
Gamification as a Tool for Inclusion
Oro, C. M. D., Carrillo, R. M. C., Jabba, D., Erazo-Coronado, A. M., & Romero, V. (2023) · Education and human development · doi:10.5772/intechopen.113229 · Cited by 10
Daiiani, M., Sweetser, P., Stanley, S. K., Caldwell, S., & Rooy, D. V. (2024) · International Conference on the Foundations of Digital Games (FDG) · doi:10.1145/3649921.3650024 · Cited by 7
“In most cases, the findings showed a significant positive change in the short term [85, 119] or/and longer term [39, 128].”
BackgroundMethodPress Play for Learning: A Framework to Guide Serious Computer Game Use in the Classroom
Southgate, E., Budd, J., & Smith, S. P. (2017) · doi:10.14221/ajte.2017v42n7.1 · Cited by 8
“Serious games have been extensively used in health, the defence industry, vocational education and employment training, and commerce (DeSmet et al., 2014; Susi et al., 2007; Ulicsak & Williamson, 2010).”
Manitsa, I., Livanou, M., Heyes, S. B., Barlow–Brown, F., Gardia, N., Siegfried, O., Clarke, Z., Coelho, H., & De, A. (2024) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0306805 · Cited by 6
Tao, X., Sáenz-Lechón, N., & Eckert, M. (2025) · Computers in Human Behavior Reports · doi:10.1016/j.chbr.2025.100696 · Cited by 11
Conde-Pumpido, T. D. L. H., Jansz, J., Raessens, J. (., & Schouten, B. A. M. (2021) · Amsterdam University Press eBooks · doi:10.1515/9789048543939 · Cited by 6
Garadat, S. N. (2023) · American Journal of Audiology · doi:10.1044/2023_aja-22-00194 · Cited by 6
Abraham, O., Nixon, G. A., & Seitz, L. L. (2023) · JMIR Serious Games · doi:10.2196/49382 · Cited by 6
“Other health-focused games have shown effectiveness in improving key behavioral intentions and improving education for youths [18-21].”
BackgroundDele-Ajayi, O., Strachan, R., Pickard, A. J., & Sanderson, J. (2015) · International Conference on Interactive Mobile Communication, Technologies and Learning · doi:10.1109/imctl.2015.7359620 · Cited by 6
“Reference [4] shares this view as they consider serious games to be both educational and fun.”
Backgroundvan Dooren, M. M. M., Visch, V., & Spijkerman, R. (2018) · SeGAH ... IEEE ... International Conference on Serious Games and Applications for Health/IEEE International Conference on Serious Games and Applications for Health · doi:10.1109/segah.2018.8401312 · Cited by 7
“Research has shown that applying game elements in a “serious” context can positively influence healthrelated problems and behaviors [17, 18], such as anxiety management [19], physical therapeutic exercises and fitness [20, 21], burn pain management [22], diabetes [23], and asthma [24].”
BackgroundFruits and vegetables embedded in classic video games: a health-promoting potential?
Aboul-Enein, B. H., Bernstein, J., & Kruk, J. (2018) · International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition · doi:10.1080/09637486.2018.1513995 · Cited by 6
“…studies with potentially promising health-related outcomes (Buller et al. 2009; Lanningham-Foster et al. 2009; Papastergiou 2009; Baranowski et al. 2011; Guy et al. 2011; Primack et al. 2012; Thompson et al. 2012; DeSmet et al. 2014; Jones et al. 2014; Gao et al. 2015; Sharma et al. 2015).”
BackgroundDai, Z., & MacDorman, K. F. (2021) · Frontiers in Virtual Reality · doi:10.3389/frvir.2021.739038 · Cited by 8
“The advantages of AIenabled virtual consultations include the ease of applying them to different conditions and treatments, speed of revision, and internationalization and localization for language, culture, and demographic group (DeSmet et al., 2014).”
BackgroundDiabetes Prevention and Management: What Does a Serious Game Have to Do with It?
Ruggiero, L. (2015) · Games for Health Journal · doi:10.1089/g4h.2015.0055 · Cited by 6
“Prior reviews and a meta-analysis have described the promise of health games in general and particularly in helping people with diabetes (see, for example, DeShazo et al., 4 Lieberman, 5 and DeSmet et al. 6 ).”
Videogames as Therapy: An Updated Selective Review of the Medical and Psychological Literature
Griffiths, M. D., Kuss, D. J., & Ortiz de Gortari, A. B. (2020) · Alternative Pain Management · doi:10.4018/978-1-7998-1680-5.ch014 · Cited by 5
Wang, R., Yao, J., Leong, C. S.-F., Moltchanova, E. V., & Hoermann, S. (2025) · Nutrients · doi:10.3390/nu17071219 · Cited by 5
Huang, Z., Ow, J. T., Tang, W. E., & Chow, A. L. (2024) · JMIR Serious Games · doi:10.2196/59848 · Cited by 7
“We observed a statistically significant effect size of 0.58 (95% CI 0.28-0.87) in knowledge improvement, which concurs with other serious game studies on chronic disease management among young people [26] and healthy lifestyle promotion [27].”
ResultInfluentialTınmaz, G., & Altundağ, S. (2025) · Journal of Pediatric Nursing · doi:10.1016/j.pedn.2025.01.023 · Cited by 10
Béraud-Peigné, N., Perrot, A., & Maillot, P. (2025) · JMIR Serious Games · doi:10.2196/67314 · Cited by 5
“Moreover, they could increase healthy lifestyle adoption [3], counteract sedentary lifestyles, and enhance individual health behavior, as technology programs provide more enjoyment than traditional interventions [4].”
Augmented Reality Technology: A Systematic Review on Gaming Strategy for Medication Adherence
Adetunji, R. O., Strydom, M. A., Herselman, M. E., & Botha, A. (2022) · Studies in computational intelligence · doi:10.1007/978-3-031-14748-7_3 · Cited by 5
Azizi-Soleiman, F., Heidari‐Beni, M., Hemati, Z., & Kelishadi, R. (2023) · International Journal of Computer Games Technology · doi:10.1155/2023/9897496 · Cited by 5
“It has been reported that serious games, either alone or in combination with an educational component, can International Journal of Computer Games Technology encourage people to pursue a healthier lifestyle [39, 40].”
Guala, M. M., Bikic, A., Bul, K., Clinton, D. N., Mejldal, A., Nielsen, H. N., Stenager, E. N., & Nielsen, A. S. (2024) · Journal of Eating Disorders · doi:10.1186/s40337-024-00985-2 · Cited by 5
“SGs are gaining a greater evidence-base in both somatic and mental health care contexts [29, 31–34], probably due to their around-the-clock availability, their potential to motivate, and their ability to engage users in a challenging problem while exploring new solutions without experiencing…”
Sliced Serious Games: Conceptual Approach Towards Environment-Friendly Mobility Behavior
Göbel, S. P., Maschik, I., Schröder, J., Krcmar, D., Bauer, F., Vogt, N., Weil, J., Würz, H. M., Nöll, M., Dutz, T., et al. (2017) · Lecture notes in computer science · doi:10.1007/978-3-319-70111-0_25 · Cited by 5
Game mechanics to further engagement with physical activity
Luckner, N., Kayali, F., & Purgathofer, P. (2018) · Interaction design & architecture(s)/ID&A Interaction design & architecture(s) · doi:10.55612/s-5002-036-003 · Cited by 5
Improving Youngsters’ Resilience Through Video Game-Based Interventions
Menéndez-Ferreira, R., Torregrosa, J., Panizo-LLedot, Á., González-Pardo, A., & Camacho, D. (2020) · Vietnam Journal of Computer Science · doi:10.1142/s2196888820500153 · Cited by 5
Kaye, L. K., & Levy, A. R. (2017) · Cyberpsychology Behavior and Social Networking · doi:10.1089/cyber.2017.0067 · Cited by 5
Bloomfield, L., Boston, J., Mašek, M., Andrew, L., Barwood, D., & Devine, A. (2024) · JMIR Serious Games · doi:10.2196/60755 · Cited by 5
Gameful interventions for pro-environmental attitude change
Daiiani, M., Sweetser, P., Stanley, S. K., Rooy, D. V., & Caldwell, S. (2024) · International Journal of Human-Computer Studies · doi:10.1016/j.ijhcs.2024.103439 · Cited by 5
Uso de las tic y neuroeducación en estudiantes universitarios
Reina, Á. R. C., & Silva, Y. E. L. (2022) · HUMAN REVIEW International Humanities Review / Revista Internacional de Humanidades · doi:10.37467/revhuman.v11.3962 · Cited by 4
Abraham, O., Koeberl, C., & McCarthy, T. J. (2023) · Pharmacy · doi:10.3390/pharmacy11050143 · Cited by 3
“Serious games have demonstrated acceptability amongst youth for health promotion [27,28].”
BackgroundDigital Entertaining Health Applications
Emmerich, K., Masuch, M., & Schmidt, R. (2014) · International Conference on Advances in Computer Entertainment Technology (ACE) · doi:10.1145/2693787.2693800 · Cited by 4
White Paper: Games for Health for Children—Current Status and Needed Research
Baranowski, T., Blumberg, F. C., Buday, R., Fiellin, L. E., Green, C. S., Kato, P. M., Lu, A. S., Maloney, E. K., Mellecker, R. R., Morrill, B. A., et al. (2015) · Cited by 4
Self-citationSerious Games in der Gesundheitskommunikation
Breuer, J., & Schmitt, J. B. (2019) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-658-10727-7_16 · Cited by 4
Fuzzy modeling to 'understand' personal preferences of mHealth users: a case study
Nuijten, R., Kaymak, U., Gorp, P. M. E. V., Simons, M., van den Berg, P., & Blanc, P. M. L. (2019) · European Society for Fuzzy Logic and Technology Conference · doi:10.2991/eusflat-19.2019.77 · Cited by 4
Holzmann, S. L., Schäfer, H., Plecher, D. A., Stecher, L., Klinker, G., Groh, G., Hauner, H., & Holzapfel, C. (2020) · JMIR Serious Games · doi:10.2196/16216 · Cited by 4
“This survey addresses a rather large sample of young adults, mainly university students, an underrepresented target group in gaming research and nutritional education interventions [37,38].”
BackgroundJimoyiannis, A., Boyle, E. A., Tsiotakis, P., Terras, M. M., & Leith, M. S. (2022) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.834846 · Cited by 4
“…2018) • to increase affective learning and attitude towards homelessness (Ruggiero, 2015) • to cultivate healthy lifestyle and physical activities (DeSmet et al., 2014; van’t Riet, Crutzen & Lu, 2014) • to promote self-protection/caring, like the reduction of substance abuse and HIV risk (Fiellin…”
BackgroundÖz Belirleme Kuramı Temelinde Bir Müdahale Aracı Olarak Video Oyunları
Sevinçli, M. C., & Eger, M. (2022) · Psikiyatride Guncel Yaklasimlar - Current Approaches in Psychiatry · doi:10.18863/pgy.974968 · Cited by 6
Examining immersion in a game-based experiment to study extreme behavior
Boonekamp, R., Schaap, T., & van den Berg, H. (2022) · International Journal of Serious Games · doi:10.17083/ijsg.v9i1.453 · Cited by 4
Can Mobile Digital Games Benefit Older Adults’ Health?
Duplàa, E., Kaufman, D. M., Sauvé, L., Rénaud, L., & Ireland, A. (2017) · Human-computer interaction series · doi:10.1007/978-3-319-60672-9_6 · Cited by 5
Concept Development of the Eindhoven Diabetes Education Simulator Project
Maas, A. H., van der Molen, P., van de Vijver, R., et al. (2016) · Games for Health Journal · doi:10.1089/g4h.2015.0037 · Cited by 4
Atención psicológica y Tecnologías: oportunidades y conflictos
Soto‐Pérez, F., & Franco, M. (2019) · Revista Iberoamericana de Psicología · doi:10.33881/2027-1786.rip.11310 · Cited by 5
Balestracci, K., Sebelia, L., Greene, G., Moore, A., Baird, G., Chappell, K., & Tovar, A. (2024) · Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.jneb.2023.12.010 · Cited by 3
Sanabria‐Mazo, J. P., Pérez‐Aranda, A., Armas-Landaeta, C., Royuela-Colomer, E., Canedo, C. M., Cabrera-Gil, I., Monreal‐Bartolomé, A., García‐Campayo, J., & del Hoyo, Y. L. (2025) · Frontiers in Psychiatry · doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1622099 · Cited by 3
“To date, game-based interventions have shown a diverse approach to addressing different health problems in adolescents (17, 18) and in the general population (19).”
Evolution of Research on Adaptive Gamification: A Bibliometric Study
Vijay, M., & Jayan, J. (2023) · International Conference on Circuit, Power and Computing Technologies · doi:10.1109/iccpct58313.2023.10245165 · Cited by 2
Bach, M. P., Meško, M., Stjepić, A. M., Khawaja, S., & Qureshi, F. H. (2025) · Information · doi:10.3390/info16010045 · Cited by 12
Mental Health Therapy Protocols and eHealth Design: Focus Group Study
van Dooren, M. M. M., Visch, V., Spijkerman, R., Goossens, R., & Hendriks, V. M. (2020) · JMIR Formative Research · doi:10.2196/15568 · Cited by 5
“Gamification design has shown potential in health care, and in mental health care in particular [44-46], such as by improving healthy behaviors [46-57].”
BackgroundKhafif, M. E., Wibberly, K. H., Cleckley, E., Nguyen, T. H., & Divers, M. H. (2021) · International Journal of E-Planning Research · doi:10.4018/ijepr.20211001.oa4 · Cited by 4
““Serious games” are games used not only for entertainment purposes but also to help the player learn and grow (DeSmet et al., 2014).”
BackgroundReach maximization for social lotteries
Fontecha, J. E., Walteros, J. L., & Nikolaev, A. G. (2021) · Omega · doi:10.1016/j.omega.2021.102496 · Cited by 3
Avaliação de serious game em programa de enfrentamento da obesidade infantil
Dias, J. D., Tibes-Cherman, C. M., Aragão, R. B., Filho, H. T., Zem-Mascarenhas, S. H., & Fonseca, L. M. M. (2021) · Acta Paulista de Enfermagem · doi:10.37689/acta-ape/2021ao001045 · Cited by 4
Aronson, P. L., Nolan, S. A., Schaeffer, P., Hieftje, K. D., Ponce, K. A., & Calhoun, C. L. (2024) · Journal of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology · doi:10.1097/mph.0000000000002810 · Cited by 2
“13 By 13 – 21 Speci fi c to our themes, video games have been used to, in other conditions, improve self-management of disease and self-ef fi cacy, 13,14,33,34 though data are more limited on using video games to promote SDM.”
Serious Games in der Gesundheitskommunikation
Breuer, J., & Schmitt, J. B. (2017) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-658-10948-6_16-1 · Cited by 5
Game-based lifestyle interventions for adolescents: An evidence-based approach
Dunwell, I., Torrens, K., Clarke, S., & Doukianou, S. (2014) · International Conference on Interactive Mobile Communication, Technologies and Learning · doi:10.1109/imctl.2014.7011146 · Cited by 4
“A 2014 meta-analysis of serious games for healthy lifestyle promotion [6] examined 54 serious games, concluding that the evidence supported a small positive effect on healthy lifestyle and it's determinants.”
BackgroundBalancing Fun and Seriousness Serious: Game Design Considerations
Chen, V. H. H., Koek, W. J. D., Ho, S. T. J., & Yu, V. (2022) · TMS Proceedings 2021 · doi:10.1037/tms0000026 · Cited by 3
“(eudaimonic) aspects and place much less emphasis on the fun (hedonic) aspects (DeSmet et al., 2014; Shen et al., 2009).”
BackgroundPacheco, T. B. F., de Medeiros, C. S. P., de Oliveira, V. H. B., et al. (2020) · Research Square · doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-19993/v1 · Cited by 3
The regulatory status of health apps that employ serious games and gamificationPreprint
Gilbert, S., Freyer, O., Wrona, K. J., de Snoeck, Q., Hoffmann, M., Melvin, T., Stratton‐Powell, A. A., Wicks, P. J., & Parks, A. C. (2024) · Research Square · doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-3731773/v1 · Cited by 3
The development of ReGoal, a serious mobile game for young people with conduct problems*
Livanou, M., Manitsa, I., Hulusić, V., Samara, M. M., Bull, M., & De, A. (2024) · Behaviour and Information Technology · doi:10.1080/0144929x.2024.2404241 · Cited by 4
“A meta-analysis found that serious games have the potential to enhance knowledge, improve clinical outcomes, and enhance applicability by fostering behavioural changes and enhancing mental health (DeSmet et al. 2014).”
Bridging smiles: AI-driven dental health awareness for the next gen—a systematic review
Sharma, P., Das, S., Bhandary, S., & Nayak, P. P. (2025) · Frontiers in Dental Medicine · doi:10.3389/fdmed.2025.1639572 · Cited by 2
“This issue has been observed in other mHealth reviews as well, where variability in study designs limits the generalisability of conclusions (22, 23).”
Immersive Game-Based Learning in Religious Education
Papakostas, C. (2026) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-032-08792-8_2 · Cited by 2
Jiang, N., Zhao, X., & Zhang, J. (2018) · Cluster Computing · doi:10.1007/s10586-017-1516-x · Cited by 2
“At present, Logistics Department of the Ministry of National Defense of USA mainly analyzes from four dimensions [4] of “fighting organization”, “logistics process”, “resource plan” and “innovation and learning”, etc.”
Backgroundde Medeiros, C. S. P., Pacheco, T. B. F., Dantas, R. R., & Cavalcanti, F. A. D. C. (2021) · Simulation & Gaming · doi:10.1177/10468781211046028 · Cited by 2
Zwischen Pathologisierung und Enhancement
Görgen, A. (2020) · transcript Verlag eBooks · doi:10.1515/9783839453285-003 · Cited by 2
Simulation modelling in a BIM environment: the case of school re-opening during Covid-19 pandemic
Comai, S., Simeone, D., Ventura, S. M., et al. (2022) · Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers - Smart Infrastructure and Construction · doi:10.1680/jsmic.21.00026 · Cited by 2
Initial evaluation of a mobile therapeutic game for adolescent anxiety disorders
Barnes, S., Prescott, J., & Adams, J. (2022) · Mental Health and Social Inclusion · doi:10.1108/mhsi-11-2022-0076 · Cited by 2
Development and Validation of a Game for Older Adults on Lifestyles and Frailty
Faria, A. D. C. A., Martins, M. M., Laredo‐Aguilera, J. A., et al. (2024) · Nursing Reports · doi:10.3390/nursrep14030184 · Cited by 2
“Although digital games are popular, non-digital formats—namely board and card games—have a long history of use in therapeutic settings, with the advantage of facilitating face-to-face interactions with health care professionals and providing important learning opportunities [26,33,34].”
BackgroundShynkaruk, O. A., Andrieiev, A. I., Михайлович, А. Д., et al. (2024) · Scientific Journal of National Pedagogical Dragomanov University Series 15 Scientific and pedagogical problems of physical culture (physical culture and sports) · doi:10.31392/udu-nc.series15.2024.12(185).41 · Cited by 2
Stark, P., Clarke, S., Mitchell, G., Carter, G., Craig, S. G., & Wilson, C. B. (2025) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0320782 · Cited by 2
“Serious digital games are a digitally delivered intervention, designed for a purpose other than entertainment and with the aim of educating or promoting behaviour change [19,20].”
Health Promotion, Including Action to Address Social Determinants and Health Inequity (EPHO 4)
König, L. M. (2025) · Springer series on epidemiology and public health · doi:10.1007/978-3-031-90154-6_19 · Cited by 1
Comai, S., Costa, S., Ventura, S. M., et al. (2021) · Computing in construction · doi:10.35490/ec3.2021.189 · Cited by 2
Learners' Hierarchical Value Structures in Educational Simulation Games of Supply Chain Management
Lin, H., Jhan, Y.-C., & Lin, Y.-L. (2022) · International Journal of Online Pedagogy and Course Design · doi:10.4018/ijopcd.311441 · Cited by 2
Ruggiero, L., Chebli, P., Froukh, S., Castillo, A., Seltzer, E. D., & Odoms‐Young, A. M. (2023) · Gerontechnology · doi:10.4017/gt.2023.22.1.809.05 · Cited by 2
Avaliação do serious game Immuno Rush sobre Imunologia
Machado, C. T., & Carvalho, A. A. A. (2018) · RENOTE · doi:10.22456/1679-1916.86027 · Cited by 2
Hadian, E., Nuijten, R., & Gorp, P. M. E. V. (2021) · International Symposium on Electrical, Electronics and Information Engineering (ISEEIE) · doi:10.1145/3459104.3459199 · Cited by 2
“A promising strategy to retain users is by tailoring your intervention to the users’ individual wants and needs [7].”
BackgroundTranslating Games Into Effective Health Results Using Digital Tools
Brito, D. V., & Oliveira, H. Z. (2021) · Advances in medical education, research, and ethics (AMERE) book series · doi:10.4018/978-1-7998-8824-6.ch004 · Cited by 2
El uso de videojuegos seriosen ciencias para la salud
Ladino-Cañas, P. K., & Caicedo-Eraso, J. C. (2022) · Salud Uninorte · doi:10.14482/sun.37.3.615.851 · Cited by 2
Shirazi, F., Jaberi, A., & Zahedian-Nasab, N. (2023) · Salmand · doi:10.32598/sija.2023.3448.1 · Cited by 2
Gomes, J. L. D. B., Soltani, P., Barbosa, R. R., Gomes, J. A. F., & Costa, M. D. C. (2023) · Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies · doi:10.1016/j.jbmt.2023.05.018 · Cited by 4
Prapkree, L., Deringer, R., Coccia, C. C., Huffman, F. G., & Palacios, C. S. (2024) · Journal of American College Health · doi:10.1080/07448481.2024.2337008 · Cited by 2
Game Mechanisms for Training Moral Sensitivity: A Research Design
Katsarov, J. W., Seidenberg, M., & Christen, M. (2016) · Zurich Open Repository and Archive (University of Zurich) · doi:10.5167/uzh-133993 · Cited by 2
La santé personnalisée : les objets connectés pour adopter de nouveaux comportements
WellBeNet (2017) · Pratiques en nutrition · doi:10.1016/j.pranut.2017.03.007 · Cited by 2
Jogos como competições por status e parceiros: uma análise evolucionista de por que adultos jogam
Moraes, Y. L. (2021) · doi:10.11606/d.47.2021.tde-12082021-222310 · Cited by 2
Warm-Up Your Audience Before Dancing With Them
Visch, V. (2016) · Empirical Studies of the Arts · doi:10.1177/0276237416637959 · Cited by 2
“& Langberg, 2013), via medicine compliance (Kato, Cole, Bradlyn, & Pollock, 2008), or at a later stage such as in changes oriented at a healthy lifestyle (DeSmet et al., 2014).”
BackgroundGovernmentality, Playbor, and Peak Performance
Bowman, N. D., & Condis, M. A. (2020) · Advances in information security, privacy, and ethics book series · doi:10.4018/978-1-7998-3487-8.ch008 · Cited by 1
Peçaibes, V., Cardoso, P., de Castro, L. C., Giesteira, B., Lopes, L. P. D. C., & Junqueira, C. (2020) · Springer series in design and innovation · doi:10.1007/978-3-030-61671-7_40 · Cited by 1
The Effect of a Health Game Prompt on Self-efficacy: Online Between-Subjects Experimental Survey
Haring, P. (2021) · JMIR Serious Games · doi:10.2196/20209 · Cited by 1
“Overall, the effectiveness of a health game was found to improve when game development had a theoretical foundation in behavioral prediction and game theories [8].”
BackgroundGame Over, Trauma! Empowering Trauma Healing Through Gaming
Ammannato, G., & Chiesi, F. (2023) · Lecture notes in computer science · doi:10.1007/978-3-031-43404-4_31 · Cited by 1
Duarte, V., Félix, M. J., Borges, M. D. A., & Viegas, C. (2024) · Springer series in design and innovation · doi:10.1007/978-3-031-43516-4_8 · Cited by 1
Pérez-Manzano, A., Almela-Baeza, J., & Bonache-Ibáñez, A. (2025) · Sustainability · doi:10.3390/su17177947
Metadata
- Authors
- DeSmet, A., Van Ryckeghem, D., Compernolle, S., Baranowski, T., Thompson, D., Crombez, G., Poels, K., Van Lippevelde, W., Bastiaensens, S., Van Cleemput, K., Vandebosch, H., & De Bourdeaudhuij, I.
- Affiliations
- Ghent University (BE)
- Baylor College of Medicine (US)
- University of Antwerp (BE)
- Corresponding author
- DeSmet, Ann
- ORCID
- Venue
- Preventive Medicine
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2014-12
- Volume
- 69
- Pages
- 95-107
- ISSN
- 0091-7435 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC4403732
- OpenAlex
- W2093118219
- Semantic Scholar
- 228e274dce3a3661790bf4291e9d5fe1681c2aca
- Cited by
- 414
- References
- 143
- Citations by year
- 2026: 20 · 2025: 26 · 2024: 50 · 2023: 34 · 2022: 31 · 2021: 51 · 2020: 38 · 2019: 30 · 2018: 50 · 2017: 28 · 2016: 33 · 2015: 16 · 2014: 5
- FWCI
- 5.28
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Preventive Medicine (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Research Publications (Maastricht University) (publishedVersion, other-oa)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Ghent University Academic Bibliography (Ghent University) (submittedVersion)
- Dépôt institutionnel de l'Université libre de Bruxelles (Université Libre de Bruxelles) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Open Repository and Bibliography (University of Luxembourg) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-sa)
- Research Publications (Maastricht University) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Danish Agency for Science and Higher Education
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Educational Games and Gamification
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Mobile Health and mHealth Applications
- Social Sciences › Communication › Media Influence and Health
- Keywords
- serious games, video games, healthy lifestyle promotion, health behavior change, game theory, knowledge outcomes, long-term effects, sociodemographic moderators, multicomponent intervention, game features
- MeSH terms
- Female, Health Promotion, Humans, Life Style, Male, Recreation, Health Behavior, Video Games
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
A language model drew the claims from the paper on 2026-10-08, under version 3 of the claim definition (model deepseek-v4.1-flash, prompt extract-v3).
A second model labelled each claim on 2026-10-08 (model jev-1.13-20260917, definition revision gold-guideline-v0.2).
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
