Gamification and sexual and reproductive health in nursing students: a quasi-experimental study

Background This study aimed to analyze the impact of gamification on sexual and reproductive health knowledge, gameplay experience, perceived effectiveness, engagement, and intrinsic motivation in nursing students. Methods A quasi-experimental design with intervention and control groups was conducted among 127 second-year Nursing students enrolled in the “Reproductive and Sexual Health Nursing” course at the University of Almería (Spain) during the 2024–2025 academic year. The intervention group used the Guess it app adapted for sexual health and completed scales assessing gameplay experience (GAMEX), engagement, intrinsic motivation, and perceived effectiveness. Both groups completed pretest, post-test, and retest knowledge assessments. Results The intervention group showed significant post-test and retest knowledge gains and reported high engagement, intrinsic motivation, and perceived effectiveness. Gameplay experience correlated positively with motivation, engagement, and effectiveness. Conclusions Gamification significantly enhances knowledge acquisition, retention, motivation, engagement, and perceived effectiveness, proving to be an effective educational strategy in nursing education.