SynthesisJournal of the American Medical Informatics Association : JAMIA2020
Serious games for smoking prevention and cessation: A systematic review of game elements and game effects.
Synthesis in Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association : JAMIA, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT04630340 (An Innovation Involving Self-Surveillance and Serious Gaming to Increase Smoking Quit Rate), which is not on this map. Cited by 12 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
An Innovation Involving Self-Surveillance and Serious Gaming to Increase Smoking Quit Rate: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial
Who cites it
12 citing papers in PubMed.
- Evaluating the Impact of a Game (Inner Dragon) on User Engagement Within a Leading Smartphone App for Smoking Cessation: Randomized Controlled Trial.Journal of medical Internet research · 2024Trial
- Develop a personalised serious game applet for smoking cessation: protocol for enterprise-based cluster randomised controlled trial.BMJ open · 2025Article
- Health Consumers' Use and Perceptions of Health Information from Generative Artificial Intelligence Chatbots: A Scoping Review.Applied clinical informatics · 2025Article
- Traditional medical education under siege: the revolutionary integration of virtual reality and gamification in medical escape rooms.BMC medical education · 2025Review
- Perceptions Toward an Attentional Bias Modification Mobile Game Among Individuals With Low Socioeconomic Status Who Smoke: Qualitative Study.JMIR serious games · 2025Article
- Risk Perception and Knowledge Following a Social Game-Based Tobacco Prevention Program for Adolescents: Pilot Randomized Comparative Trial.JMIR serious games · 2024Article
- Perceptions of the Use of Mobile Technologies for Smoking Cessation: Focus Group Study With Individuals of Low Socioeconomic Status Who Smoke.JMIR formative research · 2024Article
- Feasibility and Acceptability of a Mobile Game to Support Smoking Cessation: Repeated Measures Study.JMIR serious games · 2024Article
- Pilot trial of QuitBet: A digital social game that pays you to stop smoking.Experimental and clinical psychopharmacology · 2022Article
- Identifying Video Game Preferences Among Adults Interested in Quitting Smoking Cigarettes: Survey Study.JMIR serious games · 2022Article
- Mobile Health for Smoking Cessation Among Disadvantaged Young Women During and After Pregnancy: User-Centered Design and Usability Study.JMIR formative research · 2021Article
- An innovation involving self-surveillance and serious gaming to increase smoking quit rate: Protocol for a pilot randomized controlled trial.Tobacco prevention & cessation · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveSerious health games might have the potential to prevent tobacco smoking and its health consequences, depending on the inclusion of specific game elements. This review aimed to assess the composition of serious games and their effects on smoking initiation prevention and cessation and behavioral determinants. MATERIALS AND
methodsWe systematically searched MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, and Web of Science for publications that evaluated serious games aimed at changing smoking behavior or behavioral determinants. A taxonomy by King et al was used to classify game elements.
resultsWe identified 15 studies, evaluating 14 unique serious games. All games combined multiple game elements (mean 5.5; range, 3-10). Most frequently used were general and intermittent rewards, theme and genre features, and punishments. Six studies on smoking prevention together assessed 20 determinants and found statistically significant positive effects for 8 determinants (eg, attitude, knowledge, intention). Of 7 studies on smoking cessation, 5 found positive, statistically significant effects on smoking cessation or status. These studies found statistically significant positive effects for 6 of 12 determinants (eg, self-efficacy, attitude, intention). The majority of included studies had poor or fair methodological quality, lacked follow-up measures, and had fixed (as opposed to free, on-demand) play sessions.
conclusionsSerious games included multiple types of game elements. The evidence from a number of studies suggests that games may have positive effects on smoking-related outcomes, particularly smoking cessation. However, as most studies had important methodological limitations, stronger designs are needed to demonstrate, quantify, and understand the effects of serious games.
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