Chang Ing-Chau, Yang Cheng-Ying, Yen Chin-En
Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering, National Changhua University of Education, Changhua, Taiwan.
Department of Computer Science, University of Taipei, Taipei, Taiwan.
JMIR Serious Games. 2022 Jul 1;10(3):e33137. doi: 10.2196/33137.
Playing computer-aided games could enhance children's interest in learning about nutritional knowledge and eventually promote healthy dietary intake behavior.
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.
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.
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.
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.
玩电脑辅助游戏可以提高儿童学习营养知识的兴趣，并最终促进健康的饮食摄入行为。
本研究旨在评估一款电脑游戏（健康鼠王）对提高台湾学龄前儿童营养知识和垃圾食品摄入量的效果。
这是一项准实验研究，使用电脑游戏健康鼠王作为营养教育工具。我们从台湾中部的幼儿园招募了104名学龄前儿童（5 - 6岁），将他们分为实验组（n = 56）和对照组（n = 48）。实验组在课程中连续4周每周进行1小时的基于电脑的教育游戏干预。对照组未接受此干预。
4周后，实验组儿童的营养知识水平显著高于对照组（P = 0.002）。此外，实验组巧克力、糖果和冰淇淋（高热量垃圾食品）的消费频率降低。在后测中，两组在糖果和巧克力（P = 0.54）、冰淇淋和冰棒（P = 0.21）、蛋糕（P = 0.92）、饼干（P = 0.98）、软饮料（P = 0.52）以及果汁和含糖饮料（P = 0.31）的消费上没有显著差异。
使用电脑游戏教学可以提高儿童的营养知识。然而，实验组儿童的垃圾食品摄入频率与对照组相比没有显著差异。
