Gamified Versus Nongamified Metaverse Learning for Breast Health Knowledge in Women: Randomized Controlled Trial

Area of Science:

• Health Education Technology
• Virtual Reality in Medicine
• Digital Health Interventions

Background:

• The metaverse offers immersive health education, but studies often combine immersion and gamification.
• Lack of randomized evidence on the separate effects of immersion versus gamification in breast health education.

Purpose of the Study:

• To isolate the impact of gamification, independent of an identical immersive metaverse, on breast health knowledge.
• To evaluate immediate learning gains and 4-week knowledge retention in women's breast health education.

Main Methods:

• A 2-arm, parallel, randomized controlled trial involving 72 women in Hangzhou, China.
• Participants were randomized to a gamified metaverse (GM) or nongamified metaverse (NGM) group using the Mammoverse platform.
• Breast health knowledge was assessed at baseline, immediately post-intervention, and at 4-week follow-up.

Main Results:

• Both groups showed knowledge improvement, but the GM group had significantly larger immediate gains (P=.007).
• No significant difference in knowledge change between groups from post-intervention to 4-week follow-up (P=.91).
• The GM group maintained higher absolute knowledge scores at the 4-week follow-up compared to the NGM group.

Conclusions:

• Gamification significantly enhances immediate acquisition of breast health knowledge within a 3D desktop metaverse.
• Gamification did not offer additional benefits for short-term knowledge retention but supported higher absolute knowledge at 4 weeks.
• Immersive metaverse experiences provide foundational learning, while gamification boosts immediate gains; memory consolidation strategies could enhance long-term retention.