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. 2022 Oct 1:1-11.
doi: 10.1007/s10209-022-00922-7. Online ahead of print.

A social robot-based platform for health behavior change toward prevention of childhood obesity

Andreas Triantafyllidis  1 , Anastasios Alexiadis  1 , Dimosthenis Elmas  1 , Georgios Gerovasilis  1 , Konstantinos Votis  1 , Dimitrios Tzovaras  1
Affiliations

A social robot-based platform for health behavior change toward prevention of childhood obesity

Andreas Triantafyllidis et al. Univers Access Inf Soc. .

Abstract

Childhood obesity is a major public health challenge which is linked with the occurrence of diseases such as diabetes and cancer. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced changes to the lifestyle behaviors of children, thereby making the risk of developing obesity even greater. Novel preventive tools and approaches are required to fight childhood obesity. We present a social robot-based platform which utilizes an interactive motivational strategy in communication with children, collects self-reports through the touch of tangible objects, and processes behavioral data, aiming to: (a) screen and assess the behaviors of children in the dimensions of physical activity, diet, and education, and (b) recommend individualized goals for health behavior change. The platform was integrated through a microservice architecture within a multi-component system targeting childhood obesity prevention. The platform was evaluated in an experimental study with 30 children aged 9-12 years in a real-life school setting, showing children's acceptance to use it, and an 80% success rate in achieving weekly personal health goals recommended by the social robot-based platform. The results provide preliminary evidence on the implementation feasibility and potential of the social robot-based platform toward the betterment of children's health behaviors in the context of childhood obesity prevention. Further rigorous longer-term studies are required.

Keywords: Child healthcare; Childhood obesity; Child–robot interaction; Health behavior change; Social robots.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interestThe authors of this manuscript declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Conceptual framework
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Followed motivational approach: a Personalized encouragement feedback, b positive reinforcement, c natural interaction with the robot to reward behavior—robot raises its arms and asks user to have a fist bump
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Social robot platform components
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
PC interface to guide children in their interaction with robot and tangible objects
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Data model of mission selection in JSON based on children’s answers
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
a Child interacting with the social robot at the school setting, b printed mission sheet for health behavior change as a “take home” message
Fig. 7
Fig. 7
Percentage of mission completion by children after 1 week
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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