SynthesisThe Gerontologist2021
Gamification for Older Adults: A Systematic Literature Review.
Synthesis in The Gerontologist, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 50 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
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.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
50 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Exploring the Effectiveness of Gamification in Food Safety Training: A Systematic Review.Journal of food science · 2026Pooled it
- Digital Health Interventions to Improve Mental Health in Patients With Cancer: Umbrella Review.Journal of medical Internet research · 2025Pooled it
- A treadmill training program in a gamified virtual reality environment combined with transcranial direct current stimulation in Parkinson's Disease: Preliminary results of a mixed methods randomized controlled trial.Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology · 2026Trial
- Predictors of genetic risk recall among the participants of a randomized controlled precision prevention trial against melanoma.Genetics in medicine : official journal of the American College of Medical Genetics · 2023Trial
- Nudge-Based Interventions on Health Promotion Activity Among Very Old People: A Pragmatic, 2-Arm, Participant-Blinded Randomized Controlled Trial.Journal of the American Medical Directors Association · 2023Trial
- How can the utilisation of help for mental disorders be improved? A quasi-experimental online study on the changeability of stigmatising attitudes and intermediate variables in the process of utilisation.BMC public health · 2021Trial
- Motivations, Barriers, and the Potential of AI in Physical Activity Apps for US Older Adults: Interview Study.JMIR aging · 2026Article
- Symptom Tracking for Patient-Reported Outcomes in Cancer: User-Centered Design of the AthenaCompanion Web Application.Journal of medical Internet research · 2026Article
- Effects of Traditional and Technology-Based Exercise Interventions on Cognitive Function in Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Journal of Intelligence · 2026Review
- Evaluation of a Gamification-Based Intervention to Enhance Intergenerational Communication: Pre-Post Mixed Methods Evaluation.JMIR aging · 2026Article
- Game-Based Interventions for Health Promotion in Older Adults: A Systematic Review of Protocols and ICF-Based Outcomes.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Ultrasound-Based Wearable for Older Chronic Back Pain Patients: A Requirement Analysis of a User Interface for Biofeedback.Geriatrics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Wobble-board dynamics as a scalable assay of long-latency reflex function in aging.GeroScience · 2026Article
- Balance Assessment Using Gamified Digital Technology in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: Mixed Methods Validation Study and Randomized Controlled Trial.JMIR serious games · 2026Article
- A Generative AI Framework for Cognitive Intervention in Older Adults: An Integrated Engineering Design and Clinical Protocol.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- A mobile app intervention to support nutrition education for heart failure management: co-design, development and user-testing.BMC nutrition · 2025Article
- Cognitive Training Mobile Apps for Older Adults With Cognitive Impairment: App Store Search and Quality Evaluation.JMIR mHealth and uHealth · 2025Article
- Considering Theory-Based Gamification in the Co-Design and Development of a Virtual Reality Cognitive Remediation Intervention for Depression (bWell-D): Mixed Methods Study.JMIR serious games · 2025Article
- Exploring the General Acceptability and User Experience of a Digital Therapeutic for Cognitive Training in a Singaporean Older Adult Population: Qualitative Study.JMIR formative research · 2025Article
- Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND
objectivesDuring past years, gamification has become a major trend in technology, and promising results of its effectiveness have been reported. However, prior research has predominantly focused on examining the effects of gamification among young adults, while other demographic groups such as older adults have received less attention. In this review, we synthesize existing scholarly work on the impact of gamification for older adults. RESEARCH DESIGN AND
methodsA systematic search was conducted using 4 academic databases from inception through January 2019. A rigorous selection process was followed using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines.
resultsTwelve empirical peer-reviewed studies written in English, focusing on older adults aged ≥55, including a gameful intervention, and assessing subjective or objective outcomes were identified. Eleven of the 12 studies were conducted in the health domain. Randomized controlled study settings were reported in 8 studies. Positively oriented results were reported in 10 of 12 studies on visual attention rehabilitation, diabetes control, increasing positive emotions for patients with subthreshold depression, cognitive training and memory tests, engagement in training program, perceptions of self-efficacy, motivation and positive emotions of social gameplay conditions, increased physical activity and balancing ability, and increased learning performance and autonomy experiences. The results are, however, mostly weak indications of positive effects. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS: Overall, the studies on gameful interventions for older adults suggest that senior users may benefit from gamification and game-based interventions, especially in the health domain. However, due to methodological shortcomings and limited amount of research available, further work in the area is called for.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.