Translating and Testing a Digital Game Promoting Vegetable Consumption in Young Children: Usability Study.

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Nutrition
• Digital Health Interventions
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Low vegetable consumption in children increases chronic disease risk.
• Gamification shows potential for improving children's familiarity and knowledge of vegetables.
• Digital games offer an innovative approach to promote healthy eating habits.

Purpose of the Study:

• Translate the "Veggies4myHeart" digital game into French for a new population.
• Evaluate the game's impact on children's vegetable preferences and willingness to taste.
• Assess the game's acceptability and applicability in a classroom setting.

Main Methods:

• French version of the "Veggies4myHeart" game played by 45 children (aged 5-6) over 5 weeks.
• Each session included 10-15 minutes of gameplay, vegetable discussion, and tasting.
• Pre- and post-intervention surveys measured food preferences and willingness to taste; teacher interviews assessed acceptability.

Main Results:

• Significant increase in preference scores for red cabbage (P=.006) and overall composite score (P=.001).
• Willingness to taste showed non-significant increases across all tested vegetables (lettuce, carrot, red cabbage, cucumber, tomato).
• Teachers found the game acceptable and applicable when combined with tasting and education, providing insights for implementation.

Conclusions:

• The French digital game "Veggies4myHeart" is applicable and acceptable for young children and teachers.
• Results suggest a positive trend in vegetable preference, particularly for red cabbage.
• Further research with larger sample sizes is recommended to validate the game's effectiveness in promoting vegetable intake.