A health promotion program for older adults (KABAN!): effects on health literacy, quality of life, and emotions

The importance of an integrated health promotion program has been proposed in recent years. However, the traditional program with lectures might decrease the effectiveness of learning. A game-based learning program provides a supportive social environment and further increases the quality of life and positive emotions. The present study evaluates the effectiveness of the proposed game-based health promotion program, KABAN!, to enhance health literacy, positive emotions, and quality of life for older adults. The proposed intervention included physical exercises, nutritional knowledge, social interaction, cognitive training, and oral health care skills. All activities were designed based on the gamification principles and experiential learning theory. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected from participants and instructors. A total of 221 older adults were randomly recruited (age: mean = 71.1, SD = 7.1) as participants. To gather feedback on program implementation, 22 experienced instructors were selected based on the criteria of leading five or more sessions. Health literacy, quality of life, and emotional states before and after participation were collected. The instructors were invited to provide constructive feedback through open-ended survey questions. Analyses revealed that health literacy levels, positive emotions, and quality of life significantly increased after participation, while negative emotions remained identical. Further investigation of qualitative data via the constant comparison method showed positive feedback on instructors’ perceived changes in participants. This study showed that participation in health promotion programs like KABAN! significantly enhanced older adults’ health literacy, quality of life, and positive emotions.