Interactive SBOT for Health Education and Active Living

Area of Science:

• Health Sciences
• Behavioral Science
• Digital Health

Background:

• Physical inactivity is a major global health concern, linked to chronic diseases like obesity and cardiovascular issues.
• Sedentary lifestyles and an aging population exacerbate the challenge of promoting regular exercise.
• Existing exercise interventions often struggle with user engagement and long-term adherence.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of SBOT, a gamified chatbot, on physical fitness, motivation, and user satisfaction.
• To assess SBOT's effectiveness in promoting physical activity (PA) across diverse age demographics.
• To explore SBOT's potential in overcoming common barriers to exercise.

Main Methods:

• A six-month randomized controlled trial with 48 participants.
• Experimental group used SBOT for personalized, gamified exercise guidance.
• Control group engaged in self-directed training; PA metrics and motivation were assessed pre- and post-intervention.

Main Results:

• The SBOT group demonstrated significant improvements in physical fitness metrics (squats, running time, jumping jacks).
• Participants using SBOT showed enhanced motivation, particularly in Attention, Relevance, Confidence, and Satisfaction (ARCS) dimensions.
• Higher engagement and achievement levels were observed in the experimental group compared to the control.

Conclusions:

• SBOT is a potentially effective gamified tool for enhancing physical activity and exercise motivation.
• The chatbot's personalized guidance and engaging features help overcome barriers to regular exercise.
• Findings suggest SBOT can improve fitness and user satisfaction in exercise interventions for various age groups.