I first thought this website/video about games would be targeting the negative consequences of prolonged video game use. I guess I overlooked the title "Game For Health". I was amazed to find Guitar Hero for Amputees, Mortal Combat for Play Therapy, and the Catch the Sperm STD Campaign. It is very impressive that they have an annual conference for this very specific field and that they are making such an impact in health.
More and more you see this being down in all health fields. The old "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" approach. It makes sense. Why try to invent new forms of communications and cut down the current ones that are firmly in place? We carry such a small stick compared to the non-health promoting industries so we might as well use their techniques. I love how they are not only using the idea of video games as a tool to develop new software, but are ausing already popular video games as tools as well (i.e. Mortal Combat). It is also great to see that they are taking this approach over many health fields.
I see this industry continuing to grow as our desire for better health and technology increases coupled with our endless quest for enjoyment.
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Every time I review one of these digital technologies and see how the healthcare field has infiltrated it to meet its own agenda is ingenious. I had no idea half of this stuff existed, let alone that the healthcare field is making such remarkable use of it all. This is putting health communication at the cutting edge of marketing its products (health information, behavior change interventions, etc). The product development and product scale that already exists (games for aids behavior change in Kenya, brain games to improve cognitive health and fitness, "get well" games for clinical settings.... the list is endless) is amazing. They have even researched the role of music in exergaming. I have a new found respect for many of these mediums as I become aware of the good use they are being put to.
ReplyDeleteBottom line: I guess this old dog is going to have to learn some new tricks if I am going to try and stay abreast of health communication in the digital age!
This is a cool idea that can only get bigger and bigger. What an interesting way to integrate into pop culture and reach a population that has a tendency to be cut off from the real world for extended periods of time! (Know a guy who spends half the day gaming, and the other half of the day trying to pry his kid from gaming so he can get back to it!) Health gaming can reach children and young adults especially in a form that they can relate to, in which they might get some enjoyment.
ReplyDeleteBefore viewing the video, I thought only physical fitness was the only health related issue that could be incorporated into video games to improve health. I thought it was interesting that researchers have been using Guitar Hero as a means to research prosthetic limbs and amputees. Usually parents will tell their kids that video games are bad for them, that they shouldn't spend so much time playing games, etc. It seems like Games for Health has turned it all around and made video games a useful resource to learn about health behaviors. I think this is an innovative idea and we should keep our eyes open to new methods that aren't so conventional because a lot can be learned.
ReplyDeleteI have noticed the trend of incorporating internet games to promote health messages in children. While watching television, my son would be prompted to go to such and such website and would ask me to help him get online. The games I have seen online are fairly simple- find the fruits and vegetables to energize an athlete, or winning medals by helping Ronald McDonald compete in athletic competitions in order to promote exercise.
ReplyDeleteI have also heard of effectiveness of video games in aid of post traumatic stress syndrome patients.
Games for Health is another method of reaching the population through a very popular media route. With the changing technology and increasing dependence of video and computer games, I think it is important that health communication evolves along with the media to diffuse its message through as many channels as possible.
I'm all for this idea. I recently was gifted with the wii fit for my birthday... while i don't really have all that much time to play it, my shrimp of a little brother has been using it nonstop. The kid literally works up a sweat doing all the interactive activities. He can go on runs through a park and see people wave at him, have a push up contest with his personal training, and measure his center of balance all from the comfort of my family's living room. My little brother is a video game nut. At 10, video games and sports are all that really exist in his world. So, seeing him gravitate to this physical type of video game shows just how much hope there is for this type of innovation. I think it is very cool and there are so many levels to be explored through this medium as long as we are willing to keep open minds!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea to come up with!!!I had no clue that such a site exists. I, especially liked the concept of games that may help improve cognitive health & fitness & role of music in exergaming as music definitely has positive outcomes on health and gaming is all together a fun exercise to relieve stress.
ReplyDeleteLike Ginac said, I too have heard about the strangest positive effects that these games have especially, on people undergoing painful treatment for ailments and also positive psychological effects. These games can provide intellectual stimulation as well.
I personally think that this whole concept of "Gaming for Health" will do wonders in health field in future and will definitely boost one's productivity and enhance satisfaction in various fields of life.
Every now and then you hear of games being use as teaching tools. I've heard of Wii being used to train surgeons as well as facilitate rehab and health maintainence in the elderly. Little did I knwo that there was a whole field dedicated to such uses. What I find amazing are the extra efforts made to modify these games to suit the needs of a particular health problem. Opening up a gaming console as a health resource has the potential to serve not just one specific health need but many. I can see where a game console in hopsitals could serve multiple functions. Pressure is taken off the nurses as they are able to offer a less painful and more fun approach to physical therapy and rehab.
ReplyDeleteHowever, with any new cutting edge technology, there poses the problem of accessibility. I believe that many individuals have the potential to benefit from exergames and rehab games, but I can foresee the ade old disparity in SES and healthcare access acting as a tremendous barrier.
It's definitely a different approach to health fields. I personally think that the concept of promoting health and exercise via video games is not for everyone. It's a good way to reach out to special populations, such as amputees, stroke, and other.
ReplyDeleteI was really impressed with the Mortal Kombat (MK) Play Therapy campaign because the first thought that comes to mind talking about MK would be violence and not health, but I can see where it would help certain type of children and adolescence to cope with stress, anxiety. Also, the Guitar Hero III for amputee and stroke is an awesome idea for rehabilitation range of motion, and plasticity. Besides all the health benefits, this programs are beneficial to building social networking, self-efficacy (Guitar Hero), and they are plain ol’ fun.
I am very impressed with the direction video games have taken in the field of health communication. I had heard of the incorporation of dance-dance revolution into physical activity interventions but it hadn't occured to me that using video games for health interventions could go beyond physical activity (e.g. cognitive development, anti-STD, rehab for amputees, and so forth). I think it is great that there is a national conference that solely focuses on the positive impact gaming has on health. The video was very interesting that it made me want to attend the conference and learn more about this emerging field.
ReplyDeleteI really had a lot of fun working on the last blog. It was really exciting to know that such a huge research project was going on using video games as a source of health information.I had little idea that some sort of games are in the market for the kids which are useful for their health, but I never thought that there are such conferences going on and they are soon coming up with games which include physical activities, health training and disease management. This media is definitely going to have a long lasting effects on ones behavior. Now a days, children who are not much active in outdoor games can have the real advantage. Games like wii are already in the market which are making huge impact on people from all age groups. But with time I hope price will get reduced and these games will involve more physical activities which will make people more health concious. Hopefully the conference in 2009 will be a huge success and very soon we will see the newer version of mortal combact with health issues involved and some other games like catch the sperm , army fit and specialised games to help people with disabilities will be interesting to watch.
ReplyDeleteThis is such a great idea. Video games are SO popular with kids we really should make them more active. When the Wii came out I was so excited that it caught on so quickly. It's like kids (and adults) don't even realize the benefits of actually being slightly active while playing a game because it's just so much fun. The Games for Health people have a great thing going playing off already popular games and and getting kids interested. Like the blog from last week, we are a society that likes to be entertained, and a lot of kids and adults partake in video gaming. If we can access an already popular and available channel, why not throw in a little health information or make it active. The Wii had such an enormous impact on our society I think the Games for Health project will too by creating more active games. It's just one step closer to counter acting the sedentary lifestyle many Americans have adopted.
ReplyDeleteWow, this was fascinating. Growing up I loved playing video games but as game playing started replacing physical activity, I became an advocate against prolonged video game usage. I am SO happy to see that there are video games that incorporate physical activity, such as Wii fit, as well as games that educate youth. One of the most novel games that I learned about was one that focuses on sexual health. I think that this is a great channel for kids to learn about the risks associated with promiscuity.
ReplyDeleteI love the fact that there is a conference for this topic, bringing together people with all motivations for being involved with trend. Game developers are able to network with health professionals to achieve new levels of educational games.
I think that there can be benefits to recreationally playing video games, it can improve cognitive health as well as train youth to be adaptive to technology. The fact that we know can offer games that are stimulating, physically challenging, and educational is a very encouraging trend that will benefit kids globally.
Well ditto from me...we are using technology more and more but I have also realized that we often refer to this as a "young" thing but seniors are using these same tools to keep mentally and physically fit. I know some that use the DS mind games to help to keep their minds sharp and quick, exercise using the Wii and guitar hero for hand-eye coordination as well as small motor skills in hands that may be less nimble.
ReplyDeleteWhy wouldn’t it work to incorporate health messages into the games as well? Maybe little tid-bit messages in between the games and such- much like we see ads before a movie?
I agree with Gale, that as health promoters we have to keep up with technology stuff if we are to keep reaching our target populations-no matter what that age may be!
Yikes, I'm already dancing as fast as I can with it!
This is a great site. I never knew there was a health field dedicated to video games! I knew the Wii was out there, but I never knew about this site and the kind of things they do/develop. Kids are already playing video games so it's a great idea to incorporate public health messages into their games to get them more involved and more educated about being healthy.
ReplyDeleteI am as excited about this new approach as my classmates. What a way to enter the minds of the youth! This is a great way to intergrate into the minds of the youth because most of the time information is given to them, but these video health games is a very creative approach, they will enjoy playing it while at the same time obtaining information from it. I see how video games have on people that are even in college, I believe that this will help them to obtain health information and possibly motivate healthy behaviors. Therefore I am all for this innovatitive idea.I am also impressed on how much the health field is diversifying its marketing approach, I sincerly hope that it continues in this path.
ReplyDeleteI think this is a great way to get health out there to different populations(especially a younger population who before may have just been playing shooting games or get stuck playing long story games for hours!). Same thing with getting information from watching TV shows, edutainment! When dance dance revolution came out I knew people who lost so much weight from playing it. Now with Wii sports, Wii fit, yoga, this is an area that is branching out-even if playing a sedentary game on Wii, every so often a screen pops up saying "take a break, go outside" haha. The posts here, people seem much more receptive of this then of having to use TV shows to get information out. Is it because this is a more interactive method? I agree with everyone else that this is a great method and seems it can't be argued, most of us have probably already even seen some sort of positive change from the new games already out.
ReplyDeleteGames for health is certainly a very good way to promote health to the younger generation who already play computer games. In addition it could be useful for any generation to convey otherwise boring and highly technical information or to improve self efficacy for health task. The graphics, realism and interactivity associated with video gaming can be appealing to anyone across generation lines. An example that comes to mind is the Wii , physical fitness video game . This I think is a good example of the intersection of gaming entertainment and health. I certainly hope to see more gaming in health promotion in the near future
ReplyDeleteAll of these games sound like a lot of fun! And I don't even have any health problems (that I know of....). I had definitely heard about games being used as a health resource, specifically in the rehabilitation field. My best friend is an Occupational Therapist and she uses media and games such as these whenever possible, because of the excitement they generate, in an otherwise boring situation. Unfortunately they don't always appeal to everyone, mainly people unfamiliar with the technology. But that itself is also a good rehabilitation and learning tool!
ReplyDeleteI agree with a lot of the previous posts about how we definitely need to keep up to date with the upcoming technology in order to reach our target audiences, both young and old. I think that using video games to promote health messages in an ingenious idea. It is a form of communication that will readily be absorbed by the audience because their “guard” will be down. Also, they might possibly be focusing more while playing videogames in comparison to a billboard ad or television commercial. This allows for a greater impact of the health-promoting message. I think that the future is within technology (no new idea there!), but that us as health professionals absolutely need to stay current in order to exert influence on the “zoned out” population.
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of games for health! I first heard about this idea a couple years ago in an obesity class, when a researcher who had been designing video games was a guest speaker. It was meant to kind of subconsciously to teach the kids good dietary habits. And now, for my internship, I am researching "exer-gaming" information that we will be distributing to parents and children involved in the study. I think this is a great way to reach kids. The games are competitive and have rewards or additional levels if you do the right thing. Most kids love that!
ReplyDeleteI also enjoy seeing how wii is coming up with these great activities and putting them into video games for kids and even adults! I want one!
It's great to see the other video games created for STDs and rehab too. Like my classmates, I was amazed to see they have a conference for this! It's definitely great to know that people are looking ahead and using this technology to hopefully build knowledge and skills that can be carried into the future.
In my experience, video games can be a great health ed/communication resource. The virtual worlds the gamer enters, allow them to play out risk scenarios they wouldn't usally venture into. http://www.sexualityandu.ca/multimedia/games/sexfu/index_e.asp the sex-fu challenge was incoporated into a Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month campaign i designed and ran in the spring of 2007. One of the components of the school based campaign was for students to "play" the game. Teachers reported the studentsw were recpetive to the game, and as i played it found it fun. As we desgin health ed campaigns and look to health ed for patients, creating interactive, fun, web and software based games to facilitate learning seems to have great promise.
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