Effectiveness of the Portuguese version of Smoke in adolescents' health literacy about tobacco

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of the version translated into European Portuguese of the Fume mobile health game (No Fume), with regard to the health literacy of adolescents in the school context on tobacco-related issues. Method: A quantitative and quasi-experimental study, with pre-test and post-test evaluation, conducted with a convenience sample of 144 adolescents, divided into an experimental group and a control group, carried out in two public schools serving the 2nd and 3rd cycles of elementary education from a city in the district of Coimbra, central region of Portugal. Results: Among the adolescents who used No Fume (experimental group), a statistically significant and favorable evolution was verified in the negative expectations about smoking (p = 0.033). Conclusion: No Fume revealed a positive effect on the negative expectations about smoking among the adolescents. Investments should be made in developing No Fume in order to maximize its potential for use since, as an educational technology based on gamification, it may come to contribute to the expansion and dissemination of innovative interventions that promote adolescents’ mental health.