Effects of a Gamified Agent-Based System for Personalized Elderly Care: Pilot Usability Study

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Digital Health

Background:

• Global population aging necessitates innovative solutions for healthy lifestyles.
• Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are key to promoting active aging.
• Personalized coaching services can maintain living conditions and well-being in older adults.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility and usability of a gamified agent-based system for older adults.
• To gather preliminary data on the intervention's effectiveness for physical activity outcomes.
• To explore the potential of technology in supporting active and healthy aging.

Main Methods:

• An intervention study design comparing pre- and post-intervention data.
• A gamified agent-based system with a virtual cognitive assistant and gamification techniques.
• 12 older adult participants used the system for 7 days, with step count data from Google Fit API.
• Usability assessed via the System Usability Scale questionnaire.

Main Results:

• Significant pre- to post-intervention changes in physical activity (P=.30).
• Moderate effect size (Cohen d=0.65) indicating a meaningful impact.
• High average usability score of 78, suggesting user acceptance.

Conclusions:

• The pilot study successfully validated the gamified agent-based system.
• The intervention showed positive health effects on physical activity.
• High adherence and participant interest indicate the system's potential for promoting active aging.