Bingocize® is an evidence-based health promotion program that strategically combines the game of bingo, health education, and/or exercise. Trained facilitators may select between separate 10-week workshops that focus on exercise-only, exercise and falls prevention, or exercise and nutrition. Each workshop includes a facilitator's script for each session, participants' materials, and "take home" cards for participants to complete exercises and tasks at home to reinforce the weekly health education information. Participants play Bingocize® twice per week, with each 45-60-minute session consisting of exercises (range of motion, balance, muscle strengthening, and endurance exercises) and/or health education questions. Workshops can be delivered using a traditional in-person bingo game, along with printed curriculum facilitator and participants' materials. However, facilitators and participants are recommended to use a stand-alone online version, Bingocize® Online, to play Bingocize® in-person or remotely. This adds a fun, interactive technology component to the original game.
To view a short video of the program in action, visit https://youtu.be/meCfC0CU4fg
Intervention Target Behavior: Healthy Eating, Physical Activity and Reducing Screen Time
SNAP-Ed Strategies: Direct Education
Bingocize® targets adults and older adults in community, faith-based, health care, and USDA program (not National School Lunch Program) settings. The program was designed for community-dwelling older adults of all ethnicities and socioeconomic strata. To date, the program has been used in congregate meal sites, community senior centers, adult daycares, certified nursing homes, libraries, assisted living/independent living facilities, memory care facilities, and hospitals/trauma centers. The number of participants varies, based on the type of facility. At the community senior centers and assisted living/independent living facilities, the average number of participants ranged from 8-20 people per group, while certified nursing homes often attract over 20.
Settings: Community-wide, Faith-based centers, Healthcare, Tribal Reservations, USDA program sites
Age/Population Group: Adults, Older Adults
Race: All
Ethnicity: All
Bingocize® includes program facilitator curriculum, participants' curriculum, and exercise equipment. These intervention components are essential to ensure participants participate in the exercise program and engage in the health education curriculum. Participants (Bingocizers™) complete a series of strategically inserted exercises, which can be modified to increase or decrease the intensity and volume of exercise, based on participants' abilities. Health education questions are also inserted into the game to increase participants' knowledge on certain areas of health, such as falls prevention and nutrition. Nutrition-themed curriculum reinforcements are awarded to winners of the Bingocize® games. Enough curriculum reinforcements for one 10-week unit are included.
The available Bingocize® materials include:
- Reusable Bingocize® in a Box: Official Bingocize® shirt for a facilitator, curriculum reinforcements for one workshop, a quick-start facilitator guide, and exercise equipment for 20 participants, including resistance bands and therapy balls.
- Workshop and marketing materials for participants are available for download after successfully completing the online training.
Bingocize® conducted community-based evaluations and included rural and lower-income older adults (>60 years old), most suffering from multiple chronic health conditions. The overall objectives for these investigations were to determine the effect of Bingocize® on functional performance, gait, health activation, cognition, and health knowledge (falls prevention/osteoarthritis). These investigations highlighted significant improvements in older adults' upper and lower body strength, knowledge of falls prevention/osteoarthritis, gait, health activation, and specific aspects of cognition.
Multiple research studies, as well as actual implementation in older adult facilities, confirmed program facilitators and participants accepted the Bingocize® program. For example, participant adherence during studies was 93%, and retention was above 90%.
Published research includes:
- Older Adults' Functional Performance and Health Knowledge After a Combination Exercise, Health Education, and Bingo Game
- A Mobile Application for Improving Functional Performance and Health Education in Older Adults: A Pilot Study
- Functional Performance in Older Adults after a Combination Multicomponent Exercise Program and Bingo Game
Evidence Base: Research-tested
Based on the SNAP-Ed Evaluation Framework, the following outcome indicators can be used to evaluate intervention progress and success.
| Readiness and Capacity - Short Term (ST) | Changes - Medium Term (MT) | Effectiveness and Maintenance - Long Term (LT) | Population Results (R) | |
| Individual | ST3 | |||
| Environmental Settings | ||||
| Sectors of Influence |
- ST3a: Physical activity and leisure sport
- ST3b: Physical activity when you breathed harder than normal
- ST3c: Physical activity to make your muscles stronger (muscular strength)
Certified facilitators are required to track session attendance and administer pre and post-test assessments to the participants. Attendance and completed pre/post assessment forms must be scanned and emailed to bingocizedata@wku.edu. All forms and outcome measure instructions are available on the online training website. Certified facilitators also complete an evaluation of the online training. Program completers must attend 80% or 16 of the 20 sessions.
Website: Visit https://www.wku.edu/bingocize/ for more information on Bingocize®.
Contact Person:
Kristeen Owens
Vice President
Bingocize
Email: kristeen@bingocize.com
*Updated as of August 8, 2023