COMPUTER-BASED HEALTH EDUCATION FOR TEENAGERS-HEALTH RISK GAME

THE GOAL OF THIS RESEARCH IS TO DESIGN A COMPUTER GAME APPROPRIATE FOR USE IN HEALTH EDUCATION CLASSES AT THE SECONDARY SCHOOL LEVEL OR FOR USE IN INEXPENSIVE HOME COMPUTERS. THE GAME WILL INCORPORATE MORTALITY RISKS AND RISKS ATTRIBUTABLE TO LIFESTYLE RISK FACTORS THROUGH 10 SUCCESSIVE FRAMES, EACH ANALOGOUS TO A 5-YEAR PERIOD FOR AGES 10 THROUGH 85. CONCEPTS OF AVERAGE AND ATTRIBUTABLE RISK WILL BE DISPLAYED GRAPHICALLY IN THE NONDIDACTIC MEDIUMOF A FAST-PACED GAME WHICH IS STATISTICALLY ACCURATE. ALL SYSTEM SPECIFICATIONS WILL BE COMPILED DURING PHASE I, AND THE MOST APPROPRIATE GRAPHICS SOFTWARE FOR GAME PROGRAMMING WILL BE SELECTED. THE GAME WILL BE PROGRAMMED DURING PHASE II, THEN MARKETED TO SCHOOL HEALTH EDUCATORS AND THE GENERALPUBLIC DURING PHASE III.