Gamification in Ηealth Promotion in the Context of Creating the Concept of Health 2.0 - A Comparative Analysis of Selected Health Mobile Applications

Purpose: This article aims to explore and explain the importance of gamification in health promotion within the framework of the Health 2.0 concept based on a comparative analysis of selected health mobile apps.Design/Methodology/Approach: The following research methods were used in this paper: content analysis of health mobile apps and their comparative analysis.Based on the 2023 rankings, 12 apps were selected from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, the most interesting, in the author's opinion, in terms of gamification elements.The chosen apps were tabulated in terms of purpose, target group, gamification elements, and use benefits.The study consists of the following sections: introduction, literature review, research methodology, results, discussion, limitations, conclusions, and practical implications.Findings: The utilisation of gamification in the promotion of health possesses the potential to captivate audiences, furnish amusement, and bring forth motivational and cognitive advantages, consequently potentially serving the objectives of Health 2.0.Implementing gamification in mobile health applications can enhance user involvement and cultivate specific health-related behaviours.Furthermore, gamification can be pivotal in inspiring individuals within higher education establishments, thus contributing to the goals of Health 2.0 by endorsing healthy environments and lifestyles among students and educators.Moreover, gamification can effectively provoke employee engagement, stimulate customers, and enhance learning in healthcare institutions.Limitations: Limitations of the study that may have affected the overall picture of considerations were identified.Firstly, only selected health mobile apps were taken for comparative analysis.Secondly, the collation and comparative study of the mobile apps in question focused on the most popular gamification elements, which aligns with the results of the literature review.Thirdly, only mobile health apps appearing simultaneously in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store were taken for comparative analysis.These three limitations may have limited the study with additional findings and suggestions.Originality/value: The comparative analysis of mobile health applications is based on applications resulting from the 2023 rankings of such applications.The inclusion of issues treating gamification in health promotion in the context of creating the concept of Health 2.0 is based on the latest literature on the subject, Polish and foreign, enriching the previous