The Effectiveness of Gamification Elements (GEs) in Promoting Plant-Based Diets (PBDs) Among Young Adults: A Systematic Literature Review
Received: 22 July 2025 | Revised: 13 September 2025 and 26 September 2025 | Accepted: 12 October 2025 | Online: 28 October 2025
Corresponding author: Yodi Yodi
Abstract
PBDs provide substantial health and environmental benefits, yet young adults often struggle to adopt and maintain them consistently. Gamification, which is the use of game design elements in non-game contexts, has emerged as a promising strategy to boost engagement and support dietary behavior change. This systematic review examines the effectiveness of gamified interventions in promoting PBD adoption among young people. A comprehensive search of PubMed, Scopus, and IEEE Xplore, supplemented with manual screening, identified 19 relevant studies involving participants aged 10–30, or with a mean age above 10, reporting dietary, psychosocial, or engagement outcomes. Overall, evidence shows that gamification can improve knowledge, attitudes, and specific behaviors, such as fruit, vegetable, and legume consumption. Commonly used elements include points, challenges, badges, quizzes, and feedback. However, the overall influence on broader and sustained PBD adoption remains moderate and inconsistent. Higher engagement and stronger behavior change were associated with clear goal setting, personalized feedback, and enjoyable user experiences. The findings highlight the importance of grounding gamification designs in established behavior change theories, such as Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and Social Cognitive Theory (SCT), to strengthen intervention effectiveness and support long-term dietary change.
Keywords:
gamification, plant-based diet, young adultsDownloads
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