Enterovirus board game for elementary school children: A pilot study

Objective To evaluate the effect of an enterovirus board game on improving knowledge of enterovirus for elementary school children in Taiwan. Design A pilot study with a one-group pretest-posttest design. Sample Using convenience sampling, 27 children were recruited from a single elementary school in Taiwan in June 2020. Measurements Demographic data were collected and the children completed an enterovirus knowledge questionnaire. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, McNemar test, and Wilcoxon test. Intervention Each experimental group of four to five children participated in a 40-min enterovirus board game. Results After using the board game, the children had significantly higher mean scores for enterovirus knowledge. Specifically, the children had a higher proportion of correct answers for seven questions related to enterovirus after playing the game compared to before. Conclusions Board games designed for elementary school-aged children can support public health education and help prevent outbreaks of infectious diseases such as enterovirus.