Persuasive virtual communities to promote a healthy lifestyle among patients with chronic diseases

Abstract

The World Health Organization has declared obesity a world-wide epidemic. People with obesity have a higher risk to attain chronic diseases, high risk of premature death and a reduced quality of life. Recent studies have shown that persuasive technologies and virtual communities can promote healthy lifestyles. In this article, we describe the development of a Persuasive Ecosystem aimed at promoting a healthy lifestyle in patients with a chronic disease that participate in a support group. The study was inspired in the results of a case study conducted in a hospital responsible for running this group. The results of a preliminary evaluation show an increased engagement of the patients with the program due to the use of the system. © 2008 Springer Berlin Heidelberg.