How do Adaptive Gamified Health Information Systems Affect Health Behaviour Change?

Background: Digital health interventions, such as fitness apps and calorie tracking
applications, offer promising tools to support health behaviour change. To make the
process more enjoyable, gamification is a commonly used feature in digital health
interventions.
Objective: This paper explores the concept of adaptive gamification and its influence on
health behaviour change, focusing on the personalization of gamified elements to user-
specific and context-specific factors.
Methods: Through a structured literature review, key gamification elements were
identified, and their interactions with user characteristics, specifically the Hexad User
Types and the Big Five Personality Traits were analysed.
Results: The findings highlight that for certain individuals, tailored gamification
strategies can significantly influence user engagement and motivation, which are critical
for successful health behaviour interventions. However, gaps remain in the long-term
assessment of these interventions and the exploration of context-specific adaptations in
the context of digital health. The potential for future research to fill these gaps by
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conducting long-term studies and investigating their effectiveness in various use-specific
scenarios is identified.
Conclusion: This study provides valuable insights for developers of health apps and
digital health interventions, emphasizing the potential of personalized gamification to
change health outcomes.