Social Health Games: The Use of Online Games to Decrease Loneliness in Older Adults

NCT04733898 | Terminated

• 2 other identifiers: 2020-6884645.003.002
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 76
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This study examines whether social platform games are effective in expanding the social network and decreasing the experienced levels of loneliness in older adults. The newly developed social games will be compared to non-personal games and not playing games.

Conditions

Loneliness

Keywords

Social network; Digital technology; Social games

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Loneliness indirect

  The change in indirectly measured loneliness (De Jong Gierveld loneliness scale (range 1-11, higher indicating more loneliness)) over three months between the three groups

  Three months

• Loneliness direct

  The change in directly measured loneliness (Likert scale (range 1-5, higher indicating more loneliness) over three months between the three groups

  Three months

Secondary Outcomes (3)

• Loneliness time series

  Twelve months

• Wellbeing

  Twelve months

• Social network composition

  Twelve months

Other Outcomes (1)

• Gaming behaviour and social interactions

  Twelve months

Study Arms (3)

Social games

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants in the social games group will be given access to an app with games that are either adaptations of well-known games or newly developed games, all designed to be played with just text messages and photos. A game is essentially a chat group with the people you invited to play that specific game with. Participants can play with their own network of family and friends, as well as other people in the same condition.

Other: SamenSpelen.app

Non-personal games

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Participants in the active control group will be given access to an app that offers 'non-personal games'. The portal will contain a subset of the social games, which have been adapted for non-personal play. This means that all aspects that make the games personal are removed and discouraged. The games that remain can still be played with others (family/friends and others in the same condition), but are designed not to elicit personal interaction. Participants are asked to play the games at least twice a week, but may play as often as they like.

Other: FijnSpelen.app

Passive control

NO INTERVENTION

The passive control group will be given access to an app that contains no games. Similar to the other groups, the portal is used to complete the questionnaires. Use of other games, (gaming) apps or social media platforms is allowed in this group, as in the other groups. The only restriction they will not have access to the games offered in the social games and active control groups.

Interventions

SamenSpelen.app OTHER

An app designed to play simple, social games in a chat environment. These games are designed to elicit personal interaction.

Social games

FijnSpelen.app OTHER

An app designed to play simple, social games in a chat environment. These games are designed to not elicit personal interaction.

Non-personal games

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 65 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Being 65 years or older
• Have access to a smartphone with an internet connection

You may not qualify if:

• Visual or cognitive impairments that limit independent use of a mobile phone
• Not being fluent in the Dutch language

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Radboud University Medical Center: lead
• Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Radboudumc

Nijmegen, Gelderland, Netherlands

Location

Related Links

• The project website (in Dutch), including information on the study

Study Officials

• Marcel Olde Rikkert, MD PhD

  Radboud University Medical Center

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: INVESTIGATOR
• Masking Details: The investigator analyzing data will be blind to the group coding and the personal information. Only anonymized data will be available to them.
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Model Details: Three different groups will start simultaneously, with each participant in one and only one condition.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: January 28, 2021
• First Posted: February 2, 2021
• Study Start: April 1, 2021
• Primary Completion: March 28, 2022
• Study Completion: March 28, 2022
• Last Updated: March 31, 2023

Record last verified: 2021-01

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share
• Shared Documents: STUDY PROTOCOL, SAP, ANALYTIC CODE
• Time Frame: After the end of the project (Mid 2024).
• Access Criteria: Open Access

Locations

NL (1)