Gamertell

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has announced Monday (November 12, 2007) that it will use its $8.25 million grant to fund project contributions that aid in RWJF’s Games for Health Project to develop and create games that improve health through interactive games.

The primary research will be held at the University of California in Santa Barbara and the project will be directed by Debra Lieberman, Ph.D., a communication researcher in the university’s Institute for Social, Behavioral and Economic Research. Research in this field, according to RWJF, has been valuable in that through research they found that games increase a players’ physical activity levels as well as reinforce anti-smoking attitudes or improve young cancer patients’ adherence to their treatment plans.

“Computer and video games are one of today’s fastest-growing media forms. While we have seen dramatic expansion within the health games field, we lack solid evidence to help identify when a game – used alone or in combination with other interventions – can improve people’s health, and what specific difference it makes,” said Chinwe Onyekere, M.P.H. RWJF program officer. “Studies funded through Health Games Research will produce important, action-oriented results that will help this growing field make a meaningful difference in the health and health care of all Americans.”

In 2005, the Pioneer Portfolio made an initial grant to the Games for Health Project, whose work at the time was designed to connect game industry leaders with scholars and health experts to heightened interest in potential games that positively influence health. This year, Health Game Research has put out a call for proposals and will award up to $2 million to fund research that “support studies that investigate principles of effective health game design.”

A second round of funding will be available in 2009 and will award an additional $2 million in grants. RWJF’s $8.25 million grant will also be used to fund and expand the current efforts of RWJF’s Games for Health Project.

“Research on learning and behavior change with interactive media — including games — has found that they can be very motivating and effective. So it is no surprise to find in the research that playing a well-designed health game can help improve players’ health behaviors and outcomes,” said Lieberman. “We need more research to develop evidence-based design principles that can be used in future health games and technologies. Studies funded by Health Games Research will make an important contribution toward this goal.”

Read [Game Daily] Also Read [Robert Wood Johnson Foundation] Site [Health Games for Research]

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