Epidemic education through collaborative gameplay for strengthening health literacy in schools
1
Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo (UFES), Vitória, Brasil, Vitória, Brasil
Popul. Med. 2026;8(Supplement Supplement 1):
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION:
the recent global experience with the covid19 pandemic highlighted the urgent need to strengthen health literacy, understanding of preventive measures, and preparedness for emergencies beginning in basic education. adolescents face difficulties in understanding disease transmission, collaboration, and the impact of collective actions on outbreak control. in this context, gamification¹ emerges as an approach capable of promoting engagement, cooperation, and meaningful learning². this study presents the educational board game “epidemia: operação capixaba”. it was developed at the federal university of espírito santo (UFES) to simulate epidemic scenarios and expand students’ understanding of public health and decision making in crisis situations.
METHODS:
the project involved 200 students aged 12 to 15 from public schools in vitória, brazil. activities took place in four phases: theoretical introduction to epidemiology; immersive presentation of the game through augmented reality (RA); cooperative tournament using the board game; and evaluation using the adapted MEEGAKIDS questionnaire³ with five multiple choice questions on public health concepts. the game simulates four diseases spreading across the state map, and players assume roles such as doctor, nurse, scientist, quarantine analyst, builder, and travel agent to collaboratively develop cures. descriptive analyses used absolute and relative frequencies.
RESULTS:
usability indicators were highly positive: aesthetics (100percent), learnability (92percent), operability (90percent), and accessibility (100percent). player experience indicators also scored highly: confidence (90percent), social interaction (91percent), satisfaction (93percent), fun (95percent), relevance (90percent), focused attention (91percent), and learning (100percent). regarding public health understanding, 75.5percent recognized the educational purpose, 87percent understood collaboration, 86.7percent identified consequences of failing to develop cures in time, and 82.2percent recognized the role of cooperation in controlling diseases.
CONCLUSIONS:
the game demonstrated effectiveness in promoting public health knowledge, epidemic preparedness, and collaborative learning. the findings indicate potential for integrating gamification in curricula⁴ to strengthen prevention skills, decision making, and awareness.
the recent global experience with the covid19 pandemic highlighted the urgent need to strengthen health literacy, understanding of preventive measures, and preparedness for emergencies beginning in basic education. adolescents face difficulties in understanding disease transmission, collaboration, and the impact of collective actions on outbreak control. in this context, gamification¹ emerges as an approach capable of promoting engagement, cooperation, and meaningful learning². this study presents the educational board game “epidemia: operação capixaba”. it was developed at the federal university of espírito santo (UFES) to simulate epidemic scenarios and expand students’ understanding of public health and decision making in crisis situations.
METHODS:
the project involved 200 students aged 12 to 15 from public schools in vitória, brazil. activities took place in four phases: theoretical introduction to epidemiology; immersive presentation of the game through augmented reality (RA); cooperative tournament using the board game; and evaluation using the adapted MEEGAKIDS questionnaire³ with five multiple choice questions on public health concepts. the game simulates four diseases spreading across the state map, and players assume roles such as doctor, nurse, scientist, quarantine analyst, builder, and travel agent to collaboratively develop cures. descriptive analyses used absolute and relative frequencies.
RESULTS:
usability indicators were highly positive: aesthetics (100percent), learnability (92percent), operability (90percent), and accessibility (100percent). player experience indicators also scored highly: confidence (90percent), social interaction (91percent), satisfaction (93percent), fun (95percent), relevance (90percent), focused attention (91percent), and learning (100percent). regarding public health understanding, 75.5percent recognized the educational purpose, 87percent understood collaboration, 86.7percent identified consequences of failing to develop cures in time, and 82.2percent recognized the role of cooperation in controlling diseases.
CONCLUSIONS:
the game demonstrated effectiveness in promoting public health knowledge, epidemic preparedness, and collaborative learning. the findings indicate potential for integrating gamification in curricula⁴ to strengthen prevention skills, decision making, and awareness.
| eISSN: | 2654-1459 |
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