I-Corps: Diet and Behavior Change Software Application

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The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is the development of a digital health intervention that provides a customizable, accessible, and affordable approach to diet and physical activity change. The proposed technology has the potential to reduce users’ risk of chronic illnesses and may allow them to live longer, healthier lives. Chronic illnesses are the causes of 71% of all deaths globally. Health care costs associated with treating chronic illnesses place significant strain on individuals and society. Modifiable behaviors like unhealthy diet and physical inactivity significantly increase the risk of chronic illnesses while solutions must include a focus on modifying health behavior. Many individuals are aware that they are at risk of chronic illness and receive instructions from their healthcare providers about the need to eat healthier, increase physical activity, and change other aspects of their lifestyle, but beyond that, they receive very little tangible support or actionable guidance. The proposed technology may provide these individuals with personalized health advice and clear action steps to improve their health and decrease their risk of incurring illness. A reduction in the prevalence of chronic illnesses will translate to significant cost savings for individuals and reduced healthcare expenditures.This I-Corps project is based on the development of a lifestyle and behavior change digital health intervention including a software application and a conversational agent to decrease the risk of chronic illness in users. The proposed software will gather self-reported life data from individuals, including diet history, biochemical data, and family history of illness to design a tailored diet and activity plan based on dietitian input. The conversational agent will assess users’ level of motivation, desire to change, and feasibility of health goals and work with users to enhance their motivation, problem-solve barriers to plan adherence, and sustain healthy changes. A working prototype of the conversational agent has been developed and validated as proof-of-concept. The user design study associated with the conversational agent revealed that users found the conversational agent to be satisfactory, useful, and sustainable in helping them maintain long-term health behavior changes. This technology uses a front-end text messaging interface for communication and a backend conversational agent using a cloud-based tool to develop and manage conversational flows. Content for the conversational agent is grounded in psychotherapeutic techniques and behavior change theories that have been shown to increase user adherence and promote long-term change.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.