Enterovirus board game for elementary school children: A pilot study

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of an enterovirus board game on improving knowledge of enterovirus for elementary school children in Taiwan. DESIGN: A pilot study with a one-group pretest-posttest design. SAMPLE: Using convenience sampling, 27 children were recruited from a single elementary school in Taiwan in June 2020. MEASUREMENTS: Demographic data were collected and the children completed an enterovirus knowledge questionnaire. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, McNemar test, and Wilcoxon test. INTERVENTION: Each experimental group of four to five children participated in a 40-min enterovirus board game. RESULTS: After using the board game, the children had significantly higher mean scores for enterovirus knowledge. Specifically, the children had a higher proportion of correct answers for seven questions related to enterovirus after playing the game compared to before. CONCLUSIONS: Board games designed for elementary school-aged children can support public health education and help prevent outbreaks of infectious diseases such as enterovirus.