Science
Promoting Student Health and Well-Being with Digital Games
This book chapter highlights four games developed by the play2PREVENT Lab at the Yale Center for Health & Learning Games. As part of their PlayForward Prevention Platform, PlayForward: Elm City Stories, smokeSCREEN, PlayTest!, and PlaySmart focus on positive youth development. Strategies to incorporate games into the classroom are provided with resources at the end.
Videogame intervention to encourage HIV testing and counseling among adolescents
The purpose of this study was to modify an original serious game targeting risk reduction and HIV prevention developed by the play2PREVENT Lab and create a new serious game that focuses on HIV testing and counseling (HTC), evaluate its feasibility and acceptability, and pilot-test the assessment measures that are subsequently being used in a large randomized controlled trial. Download PDF >
Effectiveness of a web-based tobacco product use prevention video game intervention on young adolescents’ beliefs and knowledge
The purpose of this study was to conduct a real-world, quasi-experimental test of the effectiveness of a web-based video game, smokeSCREEN, aimed at developing healthy beliefs and knowledge associated with tobacco product use prevention, including electronic cigarettes. Download PDF >
Improving Health Outcomes and Quality of Life for African Adolescents: The Role of Digital and Mobile Games
This book chapter explores: (1) general definitions of well-being and its relation to factors associated with quality of life; (2) adolescents in Africa; (3) health burdens in Africa; (4) Serious Games; (5) Games for health on a global scale and (6) Games for health in Africa.
A videogame intervention for tobacco product use prevention in adolescents
We describe the results of our pilot study examining the short-term effects of an interactive videogame on changing adolescent knowledge, beliefs and risk perceptions, and intentions to use e-cigarettes, cigarettes, and other tobacco products. Download PDF >
Development and Feasibility Testing of a Videogame Intervention to Reduce High-Risk Sexual Behavior in Black and Hispanic Adolescents
This paper explains how we developed and tested the feasibility of a mobile videogame intervention to decrease high-risk sexual behavior in black and Hispanic adolescents. Download PDF >
But do they like it? Participant satisfaction and gameplay experience of a public health videogame intervention in adolescents
This mixed methods study explored adolescents’ satisfaction and gameplay experience with a videogame intervention aimed at reducing HIV-related risk. Download PDF >
Adolescents’ perceptions of flavored tobacco products, including E-cigarettes: A qualitative study to inform FDA tobacco education efforts through videogames
We conducted focus groups with 11–17-year-old adolescents from after-school programs in CT and CA about flavored tobacco product beliefs and experiences, and how these compared to traditional cigarettes. Download PDF >
Preliminary investigation of a videogame prototype for cigarette and marijuana prevention in adolescents
The purpose of this study was to conduct a preliminary test of the efficacy of a role-playing videogame prototype, smokeSCREEN, aimed at the primary prevention of cigarette and marijuana use. Download PDF >
Video Game Intervention for Sexual Risk Reduction in Minority Adolescents: Randomized Controlled Trial
We conducted a large, randomized controlled trial with 333 adolescents aged 11-14 to evaluate the HIV prevention videogame intervention, PlayForward: Elm City Stories. Download PDF >