Nutritional behavior: a child’s play? A systematic review on the effectiveness of digital edutainment games in improving nutrition behavior among school-going children

Abstract

Purpose

Since youngsters are being extensively engaged with digital devices these days, integrating digital technologies into food and nutrition education programs, stands out as a viable method. The current systematic review aimed to assess the available literature on the effectiveness of digital edutainment games on nutrition behavior of school-going children.

Design/methodology/approach

From the earliest date available until September 30, 2023, a comprehensive search was conducted in databases such as PubMed, Cochrane, Scopus, Lilacs, Science Direct, Web of Science and Google Scholar to identify relevant articles. Only randomized controlled studies were included in the review. Seven full-text publications that fulfilled the eligibility criteria were subjected to additional data extraction processing.

Findings

Children’s dietary behavior was found to be improved by playing digital games because they are entertaining and pleasurable. The majority of the studies' favored game type was game-based simulations. In terms of pedagogical role, all the studies were independent and not complementary to traditional conventional classroom lectures.

Research limitations/implications

Based on the results, digital educational games show promising results in terms of acceptability and early impacts on reducing sugar intake and enhancing dietary habits in school-age children. However, it is necessary to conduct more research to determine the essential elements of these games, their duration of usefulness and their generalizability.

Originality/value

This review contributes to the researchers and academicians by providing relevant information regarding effectiveness of digital edutainment games on nutrition behavior of school-going children. This is the first systematic review conducted to assess the effectiveness of digital edutainment games on nutrition behavior of school-going children.

Citation

Mohapatra, S. and Mohandas, R. (2024), "Nutritional behavior: a child’s play? A systematic review on the effectiveness of digital edutainment games in improving nutrition behavior among school-going children", Health Education, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/HE-02-2024-0016