Effect of an Educational Video Game for Diabetes Selfmanagement on Adherence to a Selfcare Regimen in Children with Type 1 Diabetes

Background: Type 1 diabetes is known as the most common endocrine disorder in children which requires strict adherence to selfcare regimen. Accordingly, children’s exposure to educational video games can be a strategy for promoting adherence to such regimens. Aim: The main purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of an educational video game for diabetes selfmanagement on adherence to selfcare regimens in children with type 1 diabetes. Method: This twogroup randomized clinical trial was conducted on 68 children aged 812 years affected with type 1 diabetes and admitted to Akbar Children’s Hospital in Mashhad, Iran, during 2018. A selfcare package for children with type 1 diabetes was extracted using a review method. The intervention group played the designed interactive video game. Data were analyzed in SPSS software (version 16) through independent ttest and Mann Whitney U test. Results: Both study groups were homogeneous in terms of demographic characteristics. Based on the results of independent ttest, no significant difference was observed between the intervention (77.5±10.1) and control groups (78.7±7.4) regarding mean selfcare scores before intervention (P=0.57). However, mean selfcare score in the intervention group (82.9±7.8) was significantly higher than that in control group (77.3±7.7) after the intervention (P=0.57). Intragroup comparisons also confirmed the abovementioned findings. Implications for Practice: The designed educational video game could significantly improve children’s selfcare scores. Given that Internetbased video games can be manipulated and quickly updated, it was suggested to compare online and offline video games in future studies.