Just-in-time technology to encourage incremental, dietary behavior change.

Area of Science:

• Mobile computing
• Behavioral science
• Health informatics

Background:

• Behavior change interventions are increasingly leveraging mobile technology.
• Just-in-time information delivery presents a novel approach to influence decision-making.
• Dietary choices at the point of purchase represent a critical intervention point.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop mobile computing software utilizing just-in-time information presentation.
• To establish design goals for behavior change interventions through participatory design.
• To create a prototype tool for enhancing dietary decision-making.

Main Methods:

• Employed a multi-disciplinary, participatory design process.
• Conducted preliminary interviews to define design goals.
• Developed a prototype tool based on established design principles.

Main Results:

• Established 10 design goals for the mobile computing software.
• Created a functional prototype demonstrating just-in-time motivation.
• The prototype focuses on improving dietary decisions at the point of purchase.

Conclusions:

• Mobile computing offers a viable platform for just-in-time behavior change interventions.
• Participatory design is effective in establishing relevant design goals.
• The prototype shows promise for motivating healthier dietary choices.