Board game-based education for HIV prevention among rural older adults: a quasi-experimental study

Population aging has increased the burden of HIV infection among older adults, particularly in rural areas where access to effective health education remains limited. Traditional educational approaches often fail to engage this population. Board game-based health education has emerged as a promising strategy to enhance learning engagement and knowledge retention.

A quasi-experimental study was conducted among 100 rural older adults in Hunan Province, China. Participants were allocated to either an intervention group (n = 50) receiving a board game-based HIV education program or a control group (n = 50) receiving conventional lecture-based education. Both groups participated in four weekly sessions covering identical HIV-related content. Outcomes, including HIV-related knowledge, attitudes, prevention behaviors, and condom use self-efficacy, were assessed before and after the intervention.

A total of 97 participants completed the study (intervention group: n = 48; control group: n = 49). No significant differences in baseline characteristics were observed between groups (p > 0.05). Following the intervention, both groups showed significant improvements in all outcomes (p < 0.05). However, the intervention group demonstrated significantly greater improvements in HIV-related knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, and skills compared with the control group (p < 0.05). Condom use self-efficacy was also significantly higher in the intervention group after the intervention (p < 0.05).

Board game-based health education may provide a feasible, low-cost, and culturally adaptable approach for HIV prevention among rural older adults in resource-limited settings. By combining interactive learning, peer discussion, and repeated practice, this approach has potential to complement conventional community health education and support age-appropriate HIV prevention efforts. Future studies with larger samples and longer follow-up periods are needed to confirm the sustainability of the intervention effects and their translation into real-world preventive behaviors.