ArticleJMIR serious games2021
A Web-Based Game for Young Adolescents to Improve Parental Communication and Prevent Unintended Pregnancy and Sexually Transmitted Infections (The Secret of Seven Stones): Development and Feasibility Study.
Article in JMIR serious games, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
8 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 14 citations in OpenAlex.
- Life skills that promote school health in adolescents: a concept analysis.BMC public health · 2025Pooled it
- Effect of Parent-Based Sexual Health Education on Parent-Adolescent Communication and Adolescent Sexual Behavior: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Perspectives on sexual and reproductive health · 2025Pooled it
- The "Secret of Seven Stones": Short-Term Efficacy of an Online Intergenerational Sexual Health Education Game for Early Adolescents and Their Parents.Games for health journal · 2026Trial
- Using intervention mapping framework to develop knowledge translation program: a scoping review.BMC health services research · 2025Article
- [Systematic review of teen pregnancy prevention programs using websites and chatbotsProgramas de prevenção de gravidez na adolescência com base em sites e chatbots: revisão sistemática].Revista panamericana de salud publica = Pan American journal of public health · 2025Article
- The Success of Serious Games and Gamified Systems in HIV Prevention and Care: Scoping Review.JMIR serious games · 2023Article
- Young people's proposals for a web-based intervention for sexual health promotion: a French qualitative study.BMC public health · 2023Article
- An Evidence Map on Serious Games in Preventing Sexually Transmitted Infections Among Adolescents: Systematic Review About Outcome Categories Investigated in Primary Studies.JMIR serious games · 2022Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
13 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundEarly adolescent unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infection prevention are significant public health challenges in the United States. Parental influence can help adolescents make responsible and informed sexual health decisions toward delayed sexual debut; yet parents often feel ill equipped to communicate about sex-related topics. Intergenerational games offer a potential strategy to provide life skills training to young adolescents (aged 11-14 years) while engaging them and their parents in communication about sexual health.
objectiveThis study aims to describe the development of a web-based online sexual health intergenerational adventure game, the Secret of Seven Stones (SSS), using an intervention mapping (IM) approach for developing theory- and evidence-based interventions.
methodsWe followed the IM development steps to describe a theoretical and empirical model for young adolescent sexual health behavior, define target behaviors and change objectives, identify theory-based methods and practical applications to inform design and function, develop and test a prototype of 2 game levels to assess feasibility before developing the complete 18-level game, draft an implementation plan that includes a commercial dissemination strategy, and draft an evaluation plan including a study design for a randomized controlled trial efficacy trial of SSS.
resultsSSS comprised an adventure game for young adolescent skills training delivered via a desktop computer, a text-based notification system to provide progress updates for parents and cues to initiate dialogue with their 11- to 14-year-old child, and a website for parent skills training and progress monitoring. Formative prototype testing demonstrated feasibility for in-home use and positive usability ratings.
conclusionsThe SSS intergenerational game provides a unique addition to the limited cadre of home-based programs that facilitate parent involvement in influencing young adolescent behaviors and reducing adolescent sexual risk taking. The IM framework provided a logical and thorough approach to development and testing, attentive to the need for theoretical and empirical foundations in serious games for health.
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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.