A Systematic Mapping of Game-Based Methods to Tackle a Public Health Problem

Abstract

Mosquito-borne diseases, such as dengue, endanger about half of the world’s population. Their spread is affected by individual behavior in our mostly urban society. Public health policies generally include awareness campaigns on the control of the vectors. While game-based initiatives are developed and used to train students and professionals, support patients and educate citizens, public health education remains neglected. In this study, we identify game-based approaches to support education about diseases transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes. We carried out a systematic mapping to identify studies which address a proposal, use or contain an evaluation of game-based methods, aiming to raise awareness and promote behavior changes regarding dengue and its prevention. Only 12 papers met the criteria for inclusion and exclusion, and those were selected and categorized. As part of an ongoing project, next steps include adding other databases and other mosquito-borne diseases (e.g., malaria) and drafting guidelines to support the design of games for public health education about mosquito-borne diseases.