Improving Oral Health With Serious Games

N/ACompletedNCT02027597

University of Washington161 enrolled

Overview

This study investigated if computer games can be effective at changing the way children take care of their teeth. We a museum exhibit with 3D virtual reality games called "Attack of the S. Mutans!" Our hypothesis was that children who played the games and visited the exhibit would show improved attitudes about oral health, which would translate into improved brushing and self-care habits. In this randomized controlled study with school children aged 8-12, we compared the outcomes for three groups: Group 1) Visited Attack of the S. Mutans!; Group 2) Experienced a hands-on classroom presentation about virtual reality being used for healthcare; Group 3) Received no-treatment.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

SINGLE

Enrollment

161

Conditions

Caries Tooth Decay Cavities Gingivitis

Attack of the S. MutansOTHER

A research assistant led groups of students through the Attack of the S. Mutans exhibit. All participants played all the games and viewed all the graphical content of the exhibit.

Follow-upOTHER

This group experienced the Attack of the S. Mutans! exhibit and 3 doses of follow-up booster content at a web site.

SnowWorldOTHER

SnowWorld is a 3D first-person-shooter game developed by Firsthand Technology. In SnowWorld, the player shoots snowballs at penguins, polar bears, and other features of a frozen landscape. The game is designed to help burn victims cope with pain, and has no oral health messages.

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 8 YearsMax age: 12 YearsHealthy volunteers:

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: For participation in the study, enrollment criteria are as follows: 1) a dentist's diagnosis of tooth decay, or restorative dental work in the previous year; and 2) Parents or guardians provide usable baseline data, including contact information for follow-up questionnaires. Exclusion Criteria: None

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Self-Efficacy

Follow-up surveys were conducted at 3 points after the intervention for all groups. The survey included questions about the children's attitudes (self-efficacy) toward oral health and taking care of their teeth. Surveys were paper-pencil self-reports from both parents and children. Items were drawn from Morowatisharifabad and Shirazi, (2007) and adapted for ease of understanding for English speaking children.

Time frame: 8 months post treatment

Secondary Outcomes

Self-care behavior

Separate surveys of children and their parents were conducted at 3 points after the intervention all groups. The survey included questions about how often and how well the children took care of their teeth.