An Innovative Health Education Tool: Evaluation of the Effect of Health Literacy Board Game on Improving Health Literacy in Primary School Students

Objective The goal of this research is to determine the influence of health education board games on improving primary school students' health literacy, to investigate the viability of a new style of education, and to offer an empirical foundation for future comparable studies. Methods Using Ninety primary school students in grades two through five from five out-of-school detention facilities in Yunyan District, Guiyang City, Guizhou Province, were randomly assigned to an experimental and control group, each consisting of forty-five students, using a randomised controlled trial design. While the control group simply had follow-up visits, the experimental group received eight health education board game interventions. Questionnaires were used to compare the two student groups' health knowledge levels before and after the intervention, as well as to gauge how satisfied the experimental group was with the way board games were taught. Results Five students dropped out of the experimental group, leaving 85 individuals included in the final statistical analysis. The experimental group improved their health knowledge scores from 4.00 (2.00, 5.00) to 6.00 (5.00, 7.00) before the intervention ( P < 0.05). Additionally, the experimental group showed significant differences in dietary and physical activity changes compared to the control group. In terms of cognitive attitudes, 65% (26) of the students in the experimental group reported acquiring new health information via board games. Conclusion Health education board games can effectively enhance primary school students' health literacy levels, and their interaction and fun outperform standard teaching methods by increasing interest in learning and promoting knowledge distribution among peers. In the future, such creative technologies can be integrated into the school health education system, giving a new avenue for popularizing health knowledge. Trial Registration Information This study has been registered with the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR) under the registration number ChiCTR2500109570. The registration date is September 21, 2025.