Digital Education Games Could Help Improve Diabetes Management in Children
Children with type 1 diabetes who watched educational videos and played games had improved glycemic control and quality of life.
Diabetes education given through digital games and video animations may help improve disease management in children, according to a study published in the Journal of Pediatric Nursing.1 The authors said these interventions should be integrated into existing diabetes education programs and made easily accessible to patients around the world.
Digital Education Games Could Help Improve Diabetes Management in Children / Africa Studio - stock.adobe.com
Over 300000 children and adolescents in the United States have type 1 diabetes, which makes it one of the most prevalent chronic diseases in this age group.2 Children cannot always say what they need or how they feel, and this can make managing their disease difficult. In children, poor glycemic control can impact development, with some research suggesting hyperglycemia can lead to lower general cognitive abilities, slower fine motor speed, and lower receptive language scores.3
READ MORE: Defining Resilience in Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes
“Digital health games can be used as complementary methods in many areas, such as improving the quality of life, obtaining information about various diseases and managing disease,” the authors wrote. “The reasons for the use of digital games in the health field are that it enables coping by increasing knowledge about various diseases, leads to behavior change and increases the quality of life, and is easily included in education and treatment applications. Digital games attract children's attention with their audio and visual content, contribute to learning, and include the child in the learning process with digital feedback.”
A team of investigators conducted a study to examine the effects of diabetes education given to children with type 1 diabetes through digital games and video animations on quality of life and metabolic control. The single-blind, randomized, controlled, experimental study took place at a pediatric endocrine outpatient clinic between September 2022 and September 2023. The study cohort included 55 patients aged between 8 to 12 years who had been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at least 1 year before the study.
Of the patients, 27 were in the experimental group and 28 were in the control group. Patients in the experimental group accessed a website that included audio and video animations about the basic topics of type 1 diabetes. The videos featured a character who was hospitalized with type 1 diabetes who received information from other characters on diabetes management, nutrition, exercise and insulin. At the end of each video, there was a game related to each section. If the patient won the game, they would move to the next section. However, if they lost, they would watch the section and play the game again until they won.
The study found the mean diabetes symptoms scores at the first and second follow-up visits were significantly higher in patients who took part in the education videos and games. Patients in the study group also had higher scores on the treatment barriers, treatment adherence and worry sub-dimensions. Additionally, the HbA1c value of patients in the study group decreased significantly over time compared to the control group.
“Digital games can be integrated with existing diabetes education programs to create an interactive and enjoyable learning environment,” the authors concluded. “Content supported by video animations helps make the information more understandable and ensures its retention. These interventions should be integrated into existing diabetes education programs and made easily accessible worldwide. Digital game and video animation software should be available on all digital platforms, accessible via QR codes or links.”
READ MORE: Diabetes Resource Center
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