The Effects of a Computer Game (Healthy Rat King) on Preschool Children's Nutritional Knowledge and Junk Food Intake Behavior: Nonrandomized Controlled Trial.
JMIR Serious Games
; 10(3): e33137, 2022 Jul 01.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-35776502
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Playing computer-aided games could enhance children's interest in learning about nutritional knowledge and eventually promote healthy dietary intake behavior.OBJECTIVE:
This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a computer game (Healthy Rat King) in improving the knowledge on nutrition and junk food intake among preschool children in Taiwan.METHODS:
This was a quasi-experimental study that utilized the computer game Healthy Rat King as the nutrition education tool. We recruited 104 preschool children (aged 5-6 years) from preschools in central Taiwan, who were assigned to either the experimental group (n=56) or the control group (n=48). In the experimental group, a 1-hour computer-based educational game intervention was included in the course for 4 consecutive weeks. The control group did not receive this intervention.RESULTS:
The level of nutritional knowledge for children in the experimental group was significantly higher than those in the control group after 4 weeks (P=.002). Furthermore, the frequency of consumption of chocolate, candies, and ice cream (high-calorie junk food) was reduced in the experimental group. There was also no significant difference in the consumption of candy and chocolate (P=.54), ice cream and ice pops (P=.21), cake (P=.92), biscuit (P=.98), soft drinks (P=.52), and fruit juice and sugary drinks (P=.31) between the 2 groups in the posttest.CONCLUSIONS:
Teaching using a computer game could improve children's nutritional knowledge. However, the intake frequency of junk food among children in the experimental group showed no significant difference from those in the control group.
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MEDLINE
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2022
Tipo de documento:
Article