Whereas smoking seriously impacts physical and mental health, there is currently no evidence based intervention to help youth quit smoking. We aim to fill this gap.
HitnRun is developed by an interdisciplinary team of scientific researchers, game developers and youths. We use a design thinking approach where we design for and together with the youths.
Our team of youth advisors is involved in the design process from the beginning, and we meet with them regularly to ensure that every step of the design takes into account our target audience. We also conduct playtests in schools to gain insights into usability and engagement with a larger target group.
The development of HitnRun is based on the latest scientific research in psychology to help young people quit smoking. The game offers distractions from smoking urges and helps players build healthier habits by offering rewards and incentives for achieving their goals. In addition, HitnRun is designed to help young people quit smoking by focusing on their future selves. The game helps players set personal goals and offers them various ways to track their progress. These features include daily reminders, just-in-time intervention when their smoking cravings are the greatest, progress reports, and access to a supportive social media community of other youths who want to quit smoking.
The previous version of the game had been tested in a randomized controlled trial (RCT) and showed promising results. In the new version, we seek to improve the game further with the addition of features such as a social media shell. HitnRun will be tested in a large scale RCT.
We hope that HitnRun can make a real difference in the lives of young people who want to quit smoking. By providing an engaging, fun, and supportive environment, we hope to help young people get rid of their addiction and live healthier, happier lives.
COLLABORATORS: Suhaavi Kochhar (PhD Student), dr. Hanneke Scholten, Ken Koontz – Game Design, dr. Tyas Ayuningtyas, dr. Marloes Kleinjan, Lise Jeurissen, our Youth Advisory Board, and several youth related institutes.
FUNDING: Dutch Cancer Society