Using Virtual Agents and Activity Monitors to Autonomously Track and Assess Self-Determined Physical Activity Among Young Children: A 6-Week Feasibility Field Study
Using Virtual Agents and Activity Monitors to Autonomously Track and Assess Self-Determined Physical Activity Among Young Children: A 6-Week Feasibility Field Study
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DOI：
10.1089/cyber.2019.0491
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发表时间：
2020-05-06
影响因子：
6.6
通讯作者：
(Grace) Ahn, Sun Joo
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Hahn, Lindsay;Rathbun, Stephen L.;(Grace) Ahn, Sun Joo
大多数青少年未能获得推荐的身体活动量（PA），随着年龄的增长，儿童的PA急剧下降。本研究以自我决定理论和社会认知理论为指导，设计了一个针对6-10岁儿童的交互式混合现实PA干预方案。利用消费级互动通信技术的特点，干预措施的特点是一个基于信息亭的系统，该系统包含一个虚拟代理程序，以鼓励儿童设定自我决定的PA目标。这种干预的目的是解决许多实际的挑战，在设计和管理个性化的，内在动机的PA干预这个年龄组。我们在6周内对n = 42个儿童/父母对进行了试点测试，测试了该自助服务终端的可行性。该信息亭跟踪和记录儿童的日常PA和参与干预，而不必依赖于人工报告，每当儿童要求时提供量身定制的评估和反馈，通知父母他们孩子的PA进度，并雇用虚拟代理（狗）为儿童提供社会支持。虚拟代理促使用户设定PA目标，随着时间的推移，孩子们达到了这些目标，他们的个性化狗变得更快乐，更健康，更擅长技巧。每次孩子与信息亭互动时，系统会自动向他/她的父母发送一条短信，详细说明孩子的PA进度。目前的研究证明了该信息亭在6周内在实地的可行性，说明了利用互动技术作为工具来大规模传播自给自足和真正自主的儿童健康干预措施的潜力。
The majority of youth fail to get the recommended amount of physical activity (PA), and there is a precipitous decline in PA among children as they get older. Guided by self-determination theory and social cognitive theory, we designed an interactive, mixed reality PA intervention for 6-10-year-old children. Capitalizing on the features of consumer-grade interactive communication technologies, the intervention features a kiosk-based system that houses a virtual agent programmed to encourage children to set self-determined PA goals. This intervention aims to resolve many practical challenges in designing and administering a personalized, intrinsically motivated PA intervention for this age group. We pilot tested the feasibility of this kiosk across 6 weeks with n = 42 child/parent dyads. The kiosk tracked and logged children's daily PA and engagement with the intervention without having to rely on human reporting, provided tailored evaluation and feedback whenever children requested it, informed parents about their child's PA progress, and employed a virtual agent (a dog) to offer social support to children. The virtual agent prompted users to set PA goals, and as children met these goals over time, their personalized dog became happier, more fit, and better at tricks. Each time a child engaged with the kiosk the system automatically sent a text message to his/her parent with details about the child's PA progress. The current study demonstrated the kiosk's feasibility in the field over 6 weeks, illustrating the potential of using interactive technologies as tools for disseminating self-sufficient, and truly self-determined health interventions for children at scale.