Gamification, a Successful Method to Foster Leptospirosis Knowledge among University Students: A Pilot Study

Nurul Natasya Azhari, Rosliza Abdul Manaf, Shing Wei Ng, Siti Farhana Bajunid Shakeeb Arsalaan Bajunid, Abdul Rahman Mohd Gobil, Wan Zuhainis Saad and Syafinaz Amin Nordin
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Nurul Natasya Azhari: Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400 UPM, Selangor, Malaysia
Rosliza Abdul Manaf: Department of Community Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400 UPM, Selangor, Malaysia
Shing Wei Ng: Institute of Bioscience, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400 UPM, Selangor, Malaysia
Siti Farhana Bajunid Shakeeb Arsalaan Bajunid: Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400 UPM, Selangor, Malaysia
Abdul Rahman Mohd Gobil: Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Computer and Mathematical Sciences, Universiti Teknologi MARA, UiTM Cawangan Negeri Sembilan, Kampus Seremban, Seremban 70300, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia
Wan Zuhainis Saad: Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400 UPM, Selangor, Malaysia
Syafinaz Amin Nordin: Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400 UPM, Selangor, Malaysia

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 16, issue 12, 1-12

Abstract: Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease that has been reported in Malaysia and has been associated with a recent trend of recreational activities among the youth. Thus, efforts such as educational interventions among high-risk populations, especially the youth, are key to increasing public awareness regarding leptospirosis. This paper presents the findings of a pilot study wherein an educational intervention using a gamification intervention method was used to determine changes in leptospirosis knowledge among youth. On this note, students from a public university in Seremban district, Malaysia, were recruited and were asked to complete questionnaires before and after gamification activities. Baseline and immediate post-intervention data on leptospirosis knowledge were obtained. The total knowledge score was calculated, and differences in the mean pre- and post-intervention knowledge score were determined. Of the total 185 questionnaires that were completed at baseline and immediately post-intervention, only 168 that belonged to respondents who had heard of leptospirosis were analysed in this paper. A significant increase in leptospirosis knowledge was observed for the students following health education by gamification ( p < 0.01). The results demonstrate the effectiveness of an educational intervention using gamification in improving leptospirosis knowledge among youth and suggest that gamification could become an efficient tool to prevent the disease within university-age demographics.

Keywords: youth; leptospirosis; awareness; knowledge; gamification (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
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