Smoking remains a leading cause of premature death worldwide. But a new study published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (JMIR) shows that an innovative game with a digital pet dragon can significantly facilitate the process of quitting smoking.
Oku.AzCiting gazeta.ru, scientists evaluated the effectiveness of the “Inner Dragon” game integrated into the smoking cessation application “Smoke Free.”
The essence of the game is to take care of a virtual dragon: the more the user abstains from smoking, the more his pet grows.
Participants can choose custom features for the dragon and earn extra points by petting it, which helps build an emotional bond.
479 people participated in the study and were divided into two groups: one was given an application with games and the other was given an application without games. The results showed that access to “Inner Dragon” increased user activity by 20%; the greater their participation, the more likely they were to quit smoking.
The effect was particularly pronounced among younger participants and people with low incomes.
According to scientists, young people quitting smoking can significantly reduce the prevalence of cancer and heart disease in the future and reduce the burden on health systems. Low-income people will be able to avoid significant costs in the treatment of diseases caused by smoking.
“People often download apps, use them multiple times, and then delete or forget about them. But the gamification element in the form of caring for a virtual pet increases user engagement and motivation, which ultimately increases the chances of to say goodbye to smoking forever,” he said. As scientists have explained.
