Application of educational interventions based on gamification in prenatal healthcare: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials

Abstract

Gamification takes advantage of game designs to add dynamicity to educational environments and develop students’ sociocognitive skills. As technological advances continue to shape many aspects of life, incorporating gamification into prenatal education has emerged as an innovative approach. Therefore, the present study aimed to review the use of educational interventions based on gamification in prenatal care. In the present study, studies indexed in PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, and Web of Science databases were searched for until March 2023. The main keywords and synonyms of gamification and pregnancy were used to search for studies. The inclusion criteria were English language studies with a gamification intervention and RCT. Abstracts of studies or conferences, book chapters, review articles, and non‑randomized studies were excluded from the study. The Jadad scale was used to assess the quality of the studies. Five clinical trials were reviewed. The effects of gamification‑based education were divided into four categories: effectiveness of gamification in acquiring knowledge, effectiveness of gamification in increasing prenatal healthcare, emotional and psychological benefits, and compliance with prenatal healthcare advice. Gamification can positively affect pregnancy outcomes through increasing knowledge retention, improving attitudes, promoting healthy behaviors, and reducing stress and anxiety.