Artificial Intelligence in Health Promotion and Disease Reduction: Rapid Review.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Informatics
• Digital Health

Background:

• Chronic diseases pose a significant global mortality burden, often driven by behavioral risk factors.
• Artificial intelligence (AI) offers transformative potential in health promotion and disease reduction.
• AI applications improve early detection, encourage lifestyle modifications, and alleviate healthcare system economic strain.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the role of AI in health promotion and disease reduction within Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries.
• To synthesize current evidence on AI-driven health initiatives.

Main Methods:

• A rapid literature review was conducted, searching MEDLINE (OVID) and CINAHL for studies published between 2019 and 2024.
• Two independent reviewers screened 3442 publications, assessing 22 included studies for data extraction.
• Data on study characteristics, interventions, and purposes were synthesized using narrative summaries.

Main Results:

• The review included 22 studies, primarily from the United States, focusing on lifestyle modifications (diet, smoking cessation, physical activity, mental health) and metabolic disease reduction.
• AI-powered mobile apps were the predominant intervention type, demonstrating positive outcomes in engagement, behavior change, and health indicators like blood pressure and glycemia.
• Key challenges and benefits were identified, with recommendations for future research, user-centered design, technical improvements, and resource allocation.

Conclusions:

• AI implementation in health promotion and disease prevention yields positive results.
• Findings provide insights for policymakers and practitioners to optimize AI technology adoption.
• Further research and user-focused development are recommended for effective AI integration in public health strategies.