Blood Sugar Balance : A Glucose Metabolism Web Game for Diabetes Education (Journal Article)

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Abstract: Blood Sugar Balance (BSB) is an accessible web-based game, created as an extension of our federally funded type 2 diabetes curriculum for high school biology classrooms. Modeling of complex systems and diseases, like metabolism and type 2 diabetes (T2D), is especially difficult and deeply impactful when executed in an engaging way. Blood Sugar Balance integrates environmental factors, biological factors, and personal choices to model glucose metabolism and understand the impact and risk factors for type 2 diabetes. Players earn points during gameplay by ensuring their game character maintains healthy blood glucose levels throughout the play period by regulating them. Players must make choices about food, exercise, and the release of hormones from the pancreas to manage blood glucose levels. Game settings can model the stages of type 2 diabetes as well as environmental factors that limit access to food, exercise, and health care options. Gameplay is fast and engaging, allowing exploration of factors that impact the final score. For example, how might accessibility to insulin impact the final score while playing at the type 2 diabetes setting? Here we describe the development of Blood Sugar Balance and the integration of data analysis into the accompanying NGSS-aligned lesson plan.