A Design Thinking Approach to Developing an Innovative Board Game for Preventing Leptospirosis among Schoolchildren in Nan Province, Thailand
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59096/osir.v18i4.278794Keywords:
leptospirosis, innovative board game, design thinking, schoolchildrenAbstract
Leptospirosis is a major public health concern in Thailand. In 2024, Nan Province reported an increasing incidence of leptospirosis cases, with schoolchildren accounting for the majority, including one fatality. Entertainment-education is an effective public health communication strategy for school-aged populations, improving both understanding and engagement. This study applied a design-thinking approach to develop an innovative game-based intervention and assess its effectiveness in enhancing awareness, knowledge, and preventive practices related to leptospirosis among schoolchildren. The study employed a mixed-methods research and development design, conducted between January and September 2025. Qualitative methods were used to identify schoolchildren’s needs and contexts, which informed the development of the Lepto Game, an interactive simulation board game. A quantitative one-group pre-post design was used to evaluate the intervention’s effectiveness. Three main issues were identified: (1) limited communication between schoolchildren and healthcare providers about the disease and its symptoms, (2) low general awareness of leptospirosis, and (3) the need for more engaging and enjoyable health education tools. Among 132 schoolchildren who tested the intervention, satisfaction with learning was very high. In the quantitative study (n=124, 68.5% male, age 12–15 years), significant improvements were observed in mean scores for knowledge of exposure risks (0.395), symptoms (0.387), and self-care practices (0.556). Integrating design thinking with entertainment-education can create engaging interventions that effectively enhance awareness, knowledge, and preventive practices among schoolchildren.
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