Gamification in nutrition apps - Users' gamification element preferences: A best-worst-scaling approach

Abstract

An unhealthy diet has become a leading risk factor for many diseases. The use of gamification elements (GEs) in nutrition apps offers a promising approach to change the eating habit. But, the design of GEs is often insufficient, leading to low user retention. Hence, the consideration of the underlying context and the target users' preferences is essential. By conducting a survey with 220 possible users following the best-worst-scaling method, we found that goals, performance graphs, progress bars, rewards, and levels were the most preferred GEs in nutrition context. Leaderboards, narratives, social interaction, and badges were less desired. On average, five elements are perceived as optimal by most survey participants. Compared to users' preferences in education and physical activity contexts, similarities, but also differences, were found. Our findings contribute to a better understanding of contextual differences of GE preferences and provide starting points for further research on gamification.