Using modern learning theories to plan health interventions

Many of the factors that affect our health – diet,

exercise, use of substances, etc. – are determined

more by ingrained habits than conscious decisions.

Consequently, lifestyle changes need to be seen as

part of the lifelong learning process rather than the

results of a fixed-term effort. Modern learning theo-

ries offer a fruitful foundation for designing health

interventions.

The spread of smart phones has brought a growing

number of mobile applications for health interven-

tions. But although the subject has been widely

studied, there have been no real success stories. The

challenge is to get users to commit to the process and

keep to the lifestyle changes necessary.

How can mobile interventions be made more effective

in creating permanent results?

A new approach in SalWe researchAs part of the SalWe Mind and Body programme,

researchers from Tampere University of Technology

and VTT studied and developed a set of principles for

interventions to create permanent lifestyle changes.

SalWe - the Enabler of Joint Research in Health and Wellbeing

A research project within the SalWe Mind and Body programme has developed a framework for interventions to achieve healthy lifestyle changes. The aim is to make the interventions more effective and to maintain changes.

www.salwe.fi

“Our goal has been to make mobile interventions more

effective and fruitful. We have developed a framework

that is firmly grounded in modern behavioural science

and the latest learning theories,” says Janne Vainio,

Project manager for Personal Health Informatics at

Tampere University of Technology.

“It is an unusual approach, tailored to the activity of

the person seeking a lifestyle change. Encouragement

and support is provided via interactive dialogues that

give users positive feedback on progress, influence

their emotional state and offer information that helps

them adopt new habits.”

A framework for ‘mindless change’“Incorporating the principles we have developed, the

research project has built a mobile application for

behaviour change,” Janne Vainio explains.

“It was inspired by the Mindless Eating Challenge, a

concept developed at Cornell University where gradual

changes in the eating environment and personal hab-

its are designed by the subjects themselves. We have

added learning theories to the concept as well as goals

related to exercise and stress.”

The mobile application seeks to create behavioural

changes in small steps, which it manages through ac-

tive dialogues. It provides a virtual support person, for

which the user can select one of five avatars. Each

avatar has its own style of talking and can use 1,700

pre-written messages suitable for various situations.

It creates the illusion of a human contact although it

cannot of course imitate real human.

Pilot steers further developmentThe intervention application was tested for suitability

and effectiveness in a pilot programme lasting four

weeks. Sixty-six subjects took place in the trials.

“Users found the application easy-to-use although

there was still a problem of long-term motivation;

some stopped using it fairly soon. On the other hand,

the dialogue approach proved to be useful and worth

further study.”

Results of the pilot programme are being used to re-

fine the frame of reference and the mobile application.

Both are ongoing.

Facilitated by SalWeJanne Vainio says that SalWe was the logical environ-

ment for research into lifestyle changes and develop-

ing a mobile application for this. The SalWe finance

also played a key role in incorporating the Cornell

Mindless Eating Challenge into the project.

SalWe - the Enabler of Joint Research in Health and Wellbeing

More information

Janne Vainioproject managerTampere University of Technology janne.m.vainio@tut.fi+358 50 483 5212

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