Posted by Catherine Frederico, MS RD LDN in Featured Articles, Making Games, Nutrition, Prevention, Research/Theory, Uncategorized, Using Health Games on June 29, 2012 | No Comments
Spotlight on Story Narrative in Health Games: An interview with Amy Shirong Lu, PhD
As researchers to strive to discover the best way to effect positive health behavior changes using video games, a recent spotlight has been shining on the use of story narrative. One of the leading researchers on the topic is Amy Shirong Lu, Phd, Assistant Professor at the School of Communication of Northwestern University. Dr. Lu’s masters thesis examined the cultural politics of Japanese animation, which is known for its narrative appeal to children and adolescents. Her doctoral research in mass communications focused on the impact of customization in narrative and non-narrative health blogs on physical activity intentions. Dr Lu kindly agreed to answer a few questions about her work for Health Gamers.
Q: How...
Posted by Catherine Frederico, MS RD LDN on April 06, 2012
Exergames: Free Play or Controlled Therapy?
Last month a Baylor Children’s Nutrition Research team led by pediatrician, Tom Baranowski, PhD, published a paper in the journal, Pediatrics, about the effects of naturalistic video game play on the activity level of 78 children ages 9 to 12. The children had an average Body Mass Index (BMI) of 82%, which put them at risk for obesity in adulthood....
Posted by Catherine Frederico, MS RD LDN on February 13, 2012
Game On! (at the White House)
You know you must be doing something interesting when you are invited to the White House. That mark of distinction for about thirty invited video game researchers, designers and developers was a February 1st White House summit on “Innovations in Games — Better Health and Healthcare.” Richard Buday FAIA represented Archimage and Playnormous....
Posted by Catherine Frederico, MS RD LDN on December 19, 2011
Take the Health Challenge
Have you taken the challenge yet? “What challenge?”, you ask. The Health 2.0 Developer Challenge or those on Challenge Post. These sites take advantage of the recent US initiative to make health databases available to the public.
Since 2010, both sites have hosted challenges sponsored by organizations, corporations, and the government. Some have...
Posted by Catherine Frederico, MS RD LDN on October 31, 2011
Future of Healthcare
containers that ring, play music and send emails to remind people to take sixteen different medications when loaded only once in two or three months. Another medication lid glows when it is time to take a pill and then records the time the bottle is opened and the pill was taken.
Multiple pedometers and sensors track steps, galvanic skin response, brain...
Posted by Catherine Frederico, MS RD LDN on October 03, 2011
Games for Health – Europe
Games for Health Project originated in the United States in 2004.
Ben Sawyer was instrumental in its foundation and development into the force that it is today. It’s annual meeting draws hundreds of global participants each year in Boston.
So it was exciting news this year when Games for Health announced a European partner. It’s first meeting...
Posted by Catherine Frederico, MS RD LDN on September 12, 2011
Avatar Advantage
Nick Yee, PhD, a research scientist at the PARC (the Palo Alto Research Center) has published studies that show how people’s behaviors change when they use avatars. One study notes how players engage when offered tall, attractive avatars, versus shorter, less attractive ones. He suggests that people will exercise longer and better when offered fit...
Popular Articles
Random Articles
- Health Games : A rapid analysis of the Scientific Literature
- Virtual Worlds for Diabetes Care and Prevention
- Next Midwestern Conference on Health Games announced.
- Reach Out Central: Mental Health Games and the Future
- HG Interview: JP Pollak of Mindless Eating Challenge Mobile Health Game
- Game On! (at the White House)
