Social Game to Improve Hearing Health Care Outcomes

描述(申请人提供)：噪声性听力损失(NIHL)是第二种最常见的听力障碍形式，影响约2600万美国成年人。此外，在美国，大约八分之一的儿童患有NIHL(约520万儿童)，据估计，20%的美国青少年患有听力损失。我们建议开发一种社交游戏来教育青少年有关NIHL的知识，并通过开发和翻译解决RFA-DC-12-004中列出的以下现有障碍的技术来促进健康的听力行为，以改善听力健康保健：“知识障碍-健康素养和语言障碍可以阻碍医疗保健的提供，包括患者对其医疗保健需求的了解。”通过社交游戏(例如在Facebook中)传播医疗保健计划还有一个尚未开发的潜力，大多数青少年在社交游戏中花费时间在线，有可能教育和促进健康行为。我们的新奇社交游戏《喧闹的城市》(NC)将利用社交网络的力量，作为一个提高人们对NIHL的认识以及如何预防它的计划。NC将包含关于NIHL和游戏组件的教育，以促进健康的听力行为(例如，识别噪声源、避免长时间暴露在嘈杂的声音中、使用耳朵保护装置、做听力测试等)。NC游戏故事：青少年在神秘嘈杂的城市中醒来，充满了巨大的噪音和危险的分贝。玩家发现，他/她的命运是成为一名摇滚明星来改变这座城市，同时保持“听力”。NC将通过应用有趣的活动、娱乐性的讲故事、酷的头像、不断增长的挑战、强化反馈、神秘、漫画浮雕、美观的图形、其他游戏机制和社交游戏策略来“设计娱乐”(内容：70%的娱乐|30%的教育)。预计这将增加用户动机，提高知识，促进健康行为，并鼓励青少年玩/分享这款游戏。NC集成了冒险游戏、社交功能和学习模块。NC以虚拟城市为特色，游戏中的角色想要成为一名摇滚明星，并暴露在嘈杂的声音中(例如，房间里有吵闹的音乐、音乐会、体育赛事等)。健康的行为(如戴耳塞)将获得加分。游戏级别将通过观看NIHL的NC视频来解锁，用户将受到激励，邀请Facebook上的朋友参与(例如组建乐队、帮助游戏、发送乐器等虚拟礼物等)。青少年可能会对健康的行为有更深入的了解，并更多地参与游戏(例如，比听讲座)，因为游戏有助于培养性格：玩家在游戏中经历好的/坏的行为的后果，这些后果被玩家内化(“他们可能认为/感觉是他们的化身”，例如“由于噪音大而听力受损”)，而不再局限于发生在其他人身上的抽象概念。创新：基于社交游戏的干预研究是一个未被探索的领域。NC是Facebook上首批预防NIHL的社交游戏之一(如果不是第一款的话)。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is the second most common form of hearing deficit, affecting about 26 million American adults. In addition, about one in eight children have NIHL in the US (~5.2 million children), and it is estimated that 20% of US adolescents have hearing loss. We propose the development of a social game to educate teenagers about NIHL, and promote healthy hearing behaviors with the potential to improve hearing health care, by developing and translating technologies that address the following existing barrier listed in RFA-DC-12-004: "Knowledge Barriers-health literacy and language barriers can inhibit healthcare delivery, including the patient's knowledge of their healthcare needs." There is an untapped potential to disseminate healthcare programs through social games (e.g. in Facebook), where the majority of teens spend time online, with the potential to educate and promote healthy behaviors. Our novel social game called "Noisy City" (NC) will leverage the power of social networks, as a program to increase the awareness about NIHL and how to prevent it. NC will contain education on NIHL and gaming components to promote healthy hearing behaviors (e.g. identify noise sources, avoid long exposure to loud sounds, use ear protection, do a hearing test, etc.). NC game story: teen wakes up in the mysterious Noisy City, full of loud noises and dangerous decibels. Player discovers that his/her destiny is to become a Rock Star to change the city, while preserving "hearing power." NC will be "designed to entertain" (content: 70% entertainment | 30% education) by applying fun activities, entertaining storytelling, cool avatars, growing challenges, reinforcing feedback, mystery, comic relief, aesthetic graphics, other game mechanics, and social game strategies. This is expected to increase user motivation, improve knowledge, promote healthy behaviors, and encourage teens to play/share the game. NC integrates an adventure game, social features, and learning modules. NC features a virtual city, where the game character wants to "become a Rock Star" and is exposed to loud sounds (e.g. room with loud music, concerts, sporting events, etc.). Healthy behaviors (e.g. wear ear plugs) will be rewarded with extra points. Game levels will be unlocked by watching NC videos about NIHL, and users will be motivated to invite friends in Facebook to participate (e.g. form a band, help in the game, send virtual gifts like musical instruments, etc.) Teens may have a deeper knowledge of healthy behaviors and be more engaged with games (than listening to a lecture for example), as games help to build character: players experience consequences of good/bad behaviors in the game, which are internalized by players ("they may think/feel as their avatars", e.g. "hearing power damaged due to loud noise"), and no longer limited to an abstract concept that happens to other people. Innovation: research on social game-based interventions is an unexplored field. NC is one of the first Facebook social games for NIHL prevention (if not the first).