Digital Gamification Tools to Enhance Vaccine Uptake: Scoping Review

Area of Science:

• Health behavior science
• Digital health interventions
• Vaccinology

Background:

• Gamification is effective in promoting health behaviors.
• Previous research utilized gamification for health behavior change and education.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review digital gamified tools used to encourage vaccination across diverse populations.
• To analyze the reported effects of these gamified tools on vaccine uptake.

Main Methods:

• Comprehensive literature search across multiple databases (Medline, Embase, etc.).
• Inclusion of peer-reviewed papers and publicly available digital gamified tools.
• Expert consultation to identify missed resources and data extraction on tool characteristics and outcomes.

Main Results:

• 28 papers and 11 digital tools (web-based, mobile apps, VR) were included.
• Evaluated tools increased vaccine knowledge and intentions, with mixed effects on attitudes.
• No significant advantage of one tool type over another was observed.

Conclusions:

• Digital gamified tools can enhance vaccine acceptance by improving knowledge and intentions.
• Comparative studies are recommended to identify effective gamification features and tool types.
• Future research should guide gamification implementation for vaccine acceptance and health communication.