Visualization of Health Behavior Data for Children and Young Adults

Health Behavior in School-aged Children (HBSC) is a WHO initiative trying to improve the lives and health of children across many different countries coordinated by the Child and Adolescent Health Research Unit (CAHRU). Most of the data collected exists in reports or as downloads but are not readily accessible to the children the data is about. The researchers want to provide a way for children to explore the data in the classroom, increasing understanding and influencing behavior. A web app game and visualization for use on tablets is developed for this purpose. The system is also designed to all run from a Raspberry Pi Hotspot to increase privacy. Preliminary evaluation of the app shows that the app is deemed interesting and fun though some aspects of the interface and visualization need to be enhanced further for ease of use. Overall, this app sets a benchmark which the researchers at CAHRU can take forward to procure more funding and take the idea further to develop an app that can be used in the classroom.