Promoting Self-Health Management Among Post-COVID Nurses Through a Gamified Mobile Application. (Preprint)

BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on healthcare professionals, particularly nurses, who have faced increased stress, burnout, and health challenges. Post-pandemic, it has become critical to provide these frontline workers with tools that support their well-being and self-health management. Gamification, the application of game-design elements in non-game contexts, has emerged as a promising approach to engage users in health-related behaviors. This study explores the effectiveness of a gamified mobile application designed to empower post-COVID nurses in managing their self-health. OBJECTIVE This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a gamified mobile application in promoting self-health management among nurses who have experienced the COVID-19 pandemic. The primary objective is to assess whether the use of gamification within the app can enhance engagement, improve health outcomes, and support sustained behavior change in managing personal health among this specific group of healthcare professionals. METHODS This study utilized a user-centered design approach to develop and evaluate a gamified mobile application aimed at enhancing self-health management among post-COVID nurses. The app was developed using the Octalysis framework and goal-setting theory, incorporating personalized exercise prescriptions and health tracking features. The target users were nurses from a specific hospital in Hsinchu, Taiwan, who participated voluntarily. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, surveys, and app usage analytics to assess the effectiveness and usability of the application. The analysis focused on understanding the impact of the app on nurses' health behaviors and engagement. RESULTS The study included a total of 234 participants, all of whom completed the intervention, resulting in a response rate of 100%. Participants' physical activity levels showed significant improvement after the intervention. The average daily step count increased from baseline levels, indicating enhanced engagement with the gamified mobile application. Additionally, the Body Mass Index (BMI) measurements of participants revealed a shift towards healthier weight categories, with a notable decrease in the number of participants classified as overweight or obese. These findings suggest that the gamified approach was effective in promoting physical activity and encouraging weight management among post-COVID nurses. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates the potential of a gamified mobile application to enhance self-health management among post-COVID nurses. By integrating key gamification principles, the app successfully engaged users and promoted increased physical activity, as evidenced by the significant improvements in step count and BMI. These findings suggest that gamification can be a powerful tool in addressing the unique health challenges faced by healthcare professionals, particularly in the demanding post-pandemic environment. However, the study also highlights the need for further exploration into the most effective gamification elements and the potential for personalized interventions. The limitations of the study, including the specificity of the sample and the voluntary nature of participation, suggest that while the results are promising, they may not be universally applicable. Overall, the findings contribute valuable insights into the design of digital health interventions and underscore the importance of continuing to develop innovative approaches to support the health and well-being of healthcare workers in the post-COVID era. CLINICALTRIAL This study was not a Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) and therefore did not require registration in a WHO-accredited trial registry. The research focused on the development and evaluation of a gamified mobile application for post-COVID nurses, using a pre-post study design to assess its impact on self-health management. As the study did not involve the random allocation of participants to different interventions or control groups, it falls outside the scope of studies requiring formal trial registration.