Investigating Sharing Intentions for Online Public Health Education Games

Abstract

Insomnia has become an important public health issue. In addition to affecting people’s physical mental health and quality of life, it has also increased the problem of sedative and hypnotic isuse. Recent studies have shown that the number of sedative and hypnotic users in Taiwan continues to increase, while the proportion of non-medical use (NMU) among adolescents and young females has also demonstrated an upward trend. The overall usage rate of hypnotics and NMU both show signs of continuous growth, highlighting the importance of Health Education regarding the proper use of hypnotics. However, most current Health Education campaigns still rely on one-way information dissemination, it lacks interactivity and entertainment, making it difficult to encourage the public to actively engage with and share health information. As Social Platforms have gradually become important channels for health information dissemination, how to enable the public to access Health Education knowledge through more attractive approaches has become an important issue.Therefore, this study used the online serious game The Nap Master’s Odyssey, developed by the Food and Drug Administration of the Ministry of Health and Welfare in Taiwan, as a case study to explore the relationships among Perceived Usefulness, Perceived Enjoyment, and Sharing Intentions among users of different genders after experiencing the game. The Nap Master’s Odyssey combines Health Education content with gamification design through narrative scenarios, interactive quizzes, and instant feedback to guide users in learning knowledge related to the proper use of sedative and hypnotic medications. In addition, the game ending interface includes personalized guardian characters, sharing interfaces, and recommended medication information, allowing players to receive personalized feedback results. This study collected data through an online questionnaire survey. Participants were required to experience The Nap Master’s Odyssey before completing the questionnaire. A total of 202 questionnaires were collected, of which 196 were valid. The results showed that both Perceived Usefulness and Perceived Enjoyment had significant positive effects on Sharing Intentions. This indicates that when users perceive the game content as practically useful and entertaining, they are more willing to share the game results on Social Platforms. In addition, the study found significant gender differences in Perceived Enjoyment and Sharing Intentions, with males scoring significantly higher than females, while no significant gender difference was found in Perceived Usefulness. These findings suggest that males may prefer game-based approaches to support learning in Health Education contexts.The main contribution of this study is confirming that serious games can serve not only as Health Education tools but also as effective health communication media when combined with personalized result presentation, character-based design, and sharing functions. In particular, the personalized guardian characters and result feedback design may not only increase the entertainment value of the game, but also encourage players to share their game results on Social Platforms, thereby improving the reach of Health Education games and enhancing the effectiveness of health promotion campaigns. The findings of this study may serve as a reference for the future design of digital Health Education games and health information communication strategies.

Keywords: Health Education, Social Platforms, Game Ending Interface, Sharing Intentions, Perceived Usefulness, Perceived Enjoyment

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1008105