Unpacking Adherence and Engagement in Pervasive Health Games

Abstract: Pervasive health games have a potential to impact health-related behaviors. And, similar to other types of interventions, engagement and adherence in health games is the keystone for examining their short- and long-term effects. Many health-based applications have turned to gamification principles specifically to. enhance their engagement. However, according to many reports, only 41% of participants are retained in single player games and 29% in social games after 90 days. These statistics raise multiple questions about factors influencing adherence and engagement. This paper presents an in-depth mixed-methods investigation of game design factors affecting engagement with and adherence to a pervasive commercial health game, called SpaPlay. We analyzed interview and game behavior log data using theoretical constructs of sustained engagement to identify design elements affecting engagement and adherence. Our findings indicate that design elements associated with autonomy. and relatedness from the Self-Determination Theory and integrability, a measure of how well activities align with a person's life style, are important factors affecting engagement and adherence.