A Tailored and Engaging mHealth Gamified Framework for Nutritional Behaviour Change

Area of Science:

• Nutritional Science
• Behavioral Science
• Digital Health

Background:

• Mobile health (mHealth) apps can improve eating habits.
• Current apps often use calorie/nutrient counting, facing challenges in long-term adherence, accuracy, and potential eating disorder risks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a novel mHealth framework for nutritional behavior change.
• To address limitations of traditional dietary tracking apps by focusing on food groups and sustained engagement.

Main Methods:

• Developed a mHealth framework integrated into the CarpeDiem app, focusing on key food group intake.
• Implemented a gamified system with personalized dietary missions and motivational recommendations.
• Utilized the Health Action Process Approach (HAPA) model, personalization, and AI-based recommender systems.

Main Results:

• The framework aims to foster sustained improvement in eating habits.
• Personalized, gamified interventions are designed to enhance user motivation and adherence.
• Focus on food groups offers a potentially more effective and sustainable approach than nutrient counting.

Conclusions:

• This mHealth approach may promote long-term healthy eating habits.
• By improving dietary patterns, the app could help reduce the risk of chronic diseases.
• The integration of behavioral science and AI offers a promising avenue for public health interventions.