Abstract
In the past decade, the utilization of various technologies to change individuals’ health behaviors has been a rapidly expanding field of interest. Examples of persuasive technologies can be found rather easily as there are a variety of Internet-, Web- and mobile-based systems and applications promoting healthier lifestyles. Still, the use of persuasive technology in the E-health arena is in its infancy. While the field is expanding, it is evident that more research is needed to better determine how the systems affect users’ intended behaviors. This book chapter outlines several important perspectives in designing and developing persuasive health behavior change interventions. Furthermore, this chapter offers novel viewpoints, both theoretical and practical, in designing and developing health behavior change interventions. In addition, useful underlying theories and design models are identified and discussed. This type of knowledge may assist in building, deploying and evaluating behavior change support systems that are able to engage and retain large amounts of individuals, potentially enhancing population health and well-being.
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Notes
- 1.
We use the term computer for the sake of simplicity; it also includes e.g. mo-bile/smart/tracking/monitoring/wearable devices.
- 2.
http://www.danlockton.com/dwi/. Accessed Aug 25, 2010.
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Acknowledgments
The author would like to thank Professor Harri Oinas-Kukkonen for guidance of the research and for comments on this book chapter. The author wishes to express his gratitude to the Graduate School on Software and Information Systems (SoSE) and the SalWe Research Program for Mind and Body (The Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation grant 1104/10) for funding parts of this research.
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Lehto, T. (2012). Designing Persuasive Health Behavior Change Interventions. In: Wickramasinghe, N., Bali, R., Suomi, R., Kirn, S. (eds) Critical Issues for the Development of Sustainable E-health Solutions. Healthcare Delivery in the Information Age. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-1536-7_11
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