image: Games for Health Journal breaks new ground as the first journal to address this emerging and increasingly important area of health care. view more
Credit: Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers
New Rochelle, NY, September 18, 2018--A scoping review of studies on game interventions for cardiovascular disease (CVD) self-management found that the use of digital games improved exercise capacity and energy expenditure significantly. Average adherence rates for the game interventions ranged from 70% to 100% across all studies, and they were enjoyed by a majority of participants in studies that assessed perceptions of the interventions. However, the use of digital games did not affect quality of life, self-efficacy, anxiety, or depression, as reported in Games for Health Journal, a peer-reviewed publication from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. Click here to read the full-text article free on the Games for Health Journal website through October 18, 2018.
Recent research evidence on game interventions for CVD-related self-management behaviors in patients diagnosed with coronary artery disease, heart failure, hypertension, or myocardial infarction was examined in the article entitled "Role of Digital Games in Self-Management of Cardiovascular Diseases: A Scoping Review ." The review is coauthored by Kavita Radhakrishnan, PhD, RN, MSEE and colleagues from The University of Texas at Austin and Tom Baranowski, PhD, Editor-in-Chief of Games for Health Journal, from USDA/ARS Children's Nutrition Research Center and Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX. Based on the findings of their review, the authors recommend that future research includes longer study durations and larger sample sizes, game design that is informed by theoretical frameworks for behavior change, and additional CVD self-management behaviors.
"Heart disease is the leading cause of mortality in the US and in much of the western world. Compliance with the self-care prescriptions for the heart-related disease therapies tends to be low. Games may provide a method for reaching large numbers of heart disease patients to teach easy to learn self-care practices in an enjoyable manner," says Dr. Baranowski. "This article reviewed eight studies of games for heart disease self-care, mostly done in Europe. Most of these studies reported positive health or behavioral outcomes, but the promise of games needs to be more thoroughly assessed. Stay tuned!"
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About the Journal
Games for Health Journal breaks new ground as the first journal to address this emerging and increasingly important area of health care. The Journal provides a bimonthly forum in print and online for academic and clinical researchers, game designers and developers, health care providers, insurers, and information technology leaders. Articles explore the use of game technology in a variety of clinical applications. These include disease prevention and monitoring, nutrition, weight management, and medication adherence. Gaming can play an important role in the care of patients with diabetes, post-traumatic stress disorder, Alzheimer's disease, and cognitive, mental, emotional, and behavioral health disorders.
About the Publisher
Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers is a privately held, fully integrated media company known for establishing authoritative peer-reviewed journals in many promising areas of science and biomedical research, including Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking and Telemedicine and e-Health. Its biotechnology trade magazine, GEN (Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News), was the first in its field and is today the industry's most widely read publication worldwide. A complete list of the firm's 80 journals, books, and newsmagazines is available online at the Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers website.
Journal
Games for Health Journal