Analysis of Mechanisms of Health Behavioral Intention Change Through Serious Game Targeting Lifestyle-related Diseases: Experimental Study With Different Age Groups (Preprint)

Abstract

Health activities should be tailored to individual lifestyles and values. To raise awareness of practical health behaviors, various practices related to health education, such as interactive activities among individuals with different backgrounds, have been developed. Moreover, serious games have been used as a tool for facilitating communication. However, studies that investigated the mechanisms of behavioral intention change in relation to health through serious games based on the framework of the theory of planned behavior are few.

The study aims to investigate the mechanisms of behavioral intention change among participants of various age groups after intervention using a serious game called “Negotiate Battle,” which is established to increase awareness of lifestyle-related diseases.

Three age groups (i.e., adults, university students, and high school students) played the serious game and answered a questionnaire before, immediately after, and 2–4 weeks after the game. The questionnaire was composed of four factors according to the theory of planned behavior. The study employed structural equation modeling and compared the results of the three groups.

The study found that perceived behavior control was the key factor of behavioral intention change. Immediately after the game, causal relationship from perceived behavioral control to behavioral intention was enhanced or maintained for all groups. Analysis of free descriptions after intervention suggested that experiencing dilemma is related to learning and behavioral intention.

The study revealed that the serious game changed the behavioral intention of adolescents and adults regarding lifestyle-related diseases, and changes in perceived behavioral control mediated the alteration mechanism.