Engaging women with an embodied conversational agent to deliver mindfulness and lifestyle recommendations: A feasibility randomized control trial

Patient Education and Counseling
Paula M GardinerTimothy W Bickmore

Abstract

This randomized controlled trial evaluates the feasibility of using an Embodied Conversational Agent (ECA) to teach lifestyle modifications to urban women. Women were randomized to either 1) an ECA (content included: mindfulness, stress management, physical activity, and healthy eating) or 2) patient education sheets mirroring same content plus a meditation CD/MP3 once a day for one month. General outcome measures included: number of stress management techniques used, physical activity levels, and eating patterns. Sixty-one women ages 18 to 50 were enrolled. On average, 51% identified as white, 26% as black, 23% as other races; and 20% as Hispanic. The major stress management techniques reported at baseline were: exercise (69%), listening to music (70%), and social support (66%). After one month, women randomized to the ECA significantly decreased alcohol consumption to reduce stress (p=0.03) and increased daily fruit consumption by an average of 2 servings compared to the control (p=0.04). It is feasible to use an ECA to promote health behaviors on stress management and healthy eating among diverse urban women. Compared to patient information sheets, ECAs provide promise as a way to teach healthy lifestyle behaviors to diverse...Continue Reading

Citations

Feb 6, 2020·Journal of Medical Internet Research·Lean L KramerLex van Velsen
Mar 23, 2019·Canadian Journal of Psychiatry. Revue Canadienne De Psychiatrie·Aditya Nrusimha VaidyamJohn Blake Torous
Oct 2, 2019·Journal of Medical Internet Research·Peppino TropeaMassimo Corbo
Apr 16, 2019·JMIR MHealth and UHealth·Emily R GrekinSteven J Ondersma
Oct 28, 2019·Frontiers in Psychology·Charles SpenceGijs Huisman
Jul 31, 2020·Journal of Medical Internet Research·Debaleena ChattopadhyayPamela Martyn-Nemeth
May 23, 2020·Journal of Medical Internet Research·Alaa Abd-AlrazaqKerstin Denecke
Dec 5, 2019·Frontiers in Robotics and AI·Radoslaw NiewiadomskiMaurizio Mancini
Mar 24, 2021·Journal of Medical Internet Research·Judith J ProchaskaAthena Robinson
Apr 7, 2021·Behavior Research Methods·Arne SöderströmMatthew Fuller-Tyszkiewicz
May 27, 2020··Mintra RuensukHwajung Hong
Apr 30, 2019··Debaleena ChattopadhyayTengteng Ma

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