Playing Kioku Reduces Loneliness in Older Adults: A Pilot Study
Publication: Games for Health Journal
Abstract
Introduction: Playing together increases social connectedness, and it may be a tool to reduce loneliness. Research into the mental health benefits of board games is underdeveloped.
Objectives: The study aims to examine the effects of the Kioku board game on well-being outcomes. The Kioku board game was developed in order to enable small group interactions with a focus on encouraging participants to create stories through mutual attention and interaction. We hypothesized that following a weekly intervention for 12 weeks, players would report a decrease in loneliness and an increase in well-being, compared with nonplayers.
Methods: During the summer of 2022, participants in groups of 4–5 players, chose a cube word and narrated a story. A sample of 151 older adults (Mean age = 75.05 ± 6.46 years) recruited from seven community activity centers in Israel was assigned by block randomization to an intervention (n = 72) or a control group (n = 79), awaiting 4–6 weeks for future participation. Loneliness (UCLA loneliness scale) and well-being (World Health Organization 5-item scale) were evaluated at baseline and at 12 weeks.
Results: A two-way repeated measures analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) (Group × Time) controlling for age, country of origin, and marital status revealed significant interaction effects for loneliness [F(1, 146) = 178.04, n2 = 0.549, P < 0.001] and well-being [F(1, 146) = 69.14, n2 = 0.321, P < 0.001]. Loneliness decreased in the intervention group (mean difference: 0.62 points, P < 0.001), and increased in the control group (mean difference: 0.18 points, P = 0.001). Well-being increased in the intervention group (mean difference: 0.79 points, P < 0.001) and decreased in the control group (mean difference: 0.20 points, P < 0.001).
Conclusions: Our findings support the effectiveness of the Kioku board game intervention for decreasing loneliness and promoting well-being in older adults, who might still be coping with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Published In
Games for Health Journal
PubMed: 38808474
Copyright
Copyright 2024, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers.
History
Published online: 29 May 2024
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Authors’ Contributions
All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation and data collection were performed by R.C. and A.S. Y.B. wrote most parts of the introduction, methods, and the discussion sections. E.B. preformed the analysis and wrote the results section and some parts of the methods and the discussion sections. All authors commented on previous versions of the article. All authors read and approved the final article.
Author Disclosure Statement
No competing financial interests exist.
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No funding was received for this article.
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