ReviewJMIR serious games2022
An Evidence Map on Serious Games in Preventing Sexually Transmitted Infections Among Adolescents: Systematic Review About Outcome Categories Investigated in Primary Studies.
Review in JMIR serious games, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis 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
5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 7 citations in OpenAlex.
- Behavioral Determinants and Effectiveness of Digital Behavior Change Interventions for the Prevention of Sexually Transmitted Infections and HIV: Overview of Systematic Reviews.Journal of medical Internet research · 2026Pooled 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
- User Input in the Development of Digital Sexual Health Tools: A Scoping Review and Guidance for Tool Developers.Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2025Article
- Efficacy of Digital Health Interventions Used for Adolescent's Sexual Health: An Umbrella Review.Health science reports · 2024Review
- Sexually transmitted infections in Spain: Current status.Revista espanola de quimioterapia : publicacion oficial de la Sociedad Espanola de Quimioterapia · 2023Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundSexually transmitted infections (STIs) represent a global health risk. Adolescents are at increased risk of infection for several reasons such as lack of knowledge, risky sexual behaviors, and lack of behavioral sills (eg, to negotiate safer sex). Given the fact that adolescents often use digital media and that serious games are considered to have the potential to change knowledge, attitudes and behavior, serious games represent an opportunity for the prevention of STIs.
objectiveThe aim of this systematic review was to identify and systematically summarize the dimensions that have been investigated in primary studies on serious games targeting STI prevention among adolescents.
methodsA systematic review was conducted in PubMed and Web of Science. Studies published from 2009 to 2021 were included that assessed the effectiveness of serious games on adolescent sexual health. A total of 18 studies met the inclusion criteria and were categorized according to dimensions of effectiveness and user experience.
resultsVarious dimensions of effectiveness and aspects of user experience were investigated in the primary studies. In total, 9 dimensions of effectiveness were observed: sexual behavior, behavioral intentions, knowledge, attitudes and beliefs, self-efficacy and personal limitations, character traits and future orientation, environmental and individual risk factors, risk perception and risk assessment, as well as normative beliefs and (social) norms. Furthermore, several dimensions related to user experience were investigated in primary studies, that is, motivation, acceptability, trustworthiness, comprehensibility, handling and control, perceived effectiveness, as well as satisfaction.
conclusionsThis review provides an overview of serious games interventions that are vastly different in approach, content, and even platform. In previous studies, knowledge has already been comprehensively assessed, and a positive influence of serious games on knowledge about sexual topics is evident. The results clearly show that adolescents' sexual knowledge has been increased by the serious games interventions. However, methodological and content differences in the surveys make it difficult to draw conclusions about the effectiveness related to changes in attitudes and behavior.
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.