ArticleJournal of medical Internet research2020
Artificial Intelligence Chatbot Behavior Change Model for Designing Artificial Intelligence Chatbots to Promote Physical Activity and a Healthy Diet: Viewpoint.
Article in Journal of medical Internet research, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 112 papers, 9 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
112 citing papers in PubMed, 9 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Conversational agent-based interventions for lifestyle behavior modification in older adults: a systematic review.Systematic reviews · 2025Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Natural Language Processing Chatbot-Based Interventions for Improvement of Diet, Physical Activity, and Tobacco Smoking Behaviors: Systematic Review.JMIR mHealth and uHealth · 2025Pooled it
- The Impact and Role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Healthcare: Systematic Review.Current topics in medicinal chemistry · 2025Pooled it
- Wearable Devices to Improve Physical Activity and Reduce Sedentary Behaviour: An Umbrella Review.Sports medicine - open · 2024Pooled it
- Artificial Intelligence-Based Chatbots for Promoting Health Behavioral Changes: Systematic Review.Journal of medical Internet research · 2023Pooled it
- The Effectiveness of Combining Nonmobile Interventions With the Use of Smartphone Apps With Various Features for Weight Loss: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.JMIR mHealth and uHealth · 2022Pooled it
- A systematic review of artificial intelligence chatbots for promoting physical activity, healthy diet, and weight loss.The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity · 2021Pooled it
- Digital Interventions on Healthy Lifestyle Management: Systematic Review.Journal of medical Internet research · 2021Pooled it
- Feasibility of the "LvL UP" trial: a pilot sequential multiple assignment randomised trial of an adaptive, holistic mHealth lifestyle coaching intervention.The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity · 2026Trial
- Development and effects of a chatbot education program for self-directed learning in nursing students.BMC medical education · 2025Trial
- Impact of Oral Health Chatbot With and Without Toothbrushing Training on Childhood Caries.International dental journal · 2025Trial
- Effects of Chatbot Components to Facilitate Mental Health Services Use in Individuals With Eating Disorders Following Online Screening: An Optimization Randomized Controlled Trial.The International journal of eating disorders · 2024Trial
- Using a Chatbot as an Alternative Approach for In-Person Toothbrushing Training During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Comparative Study.Journal of medical Internet research · 2022Trial
- Artificial intelligence in geriatric healthcare: a scoping review.BMC geriatrics · 2026Article
- Design, Development, and Evaluation of Multimodal Conversational Agents for Health Data Registration and Monitoring: Framework Proposal and Pilot Exploratory Study.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- PhysB: a framework for designing conversational agents to support physical activity in adolescents.Journal of health, population, and nutrition · 2026Review
- Enhancing psychological resilience in cyberbullying victims through AI-guided cognitive reappraisal.Internet interventions · 2026Article
- Attitudes toward artificial intelligence tools in university students: associations with body appreciation and e-healthy diet literacy - implications for digital health education.BMC medical education · 2026Article
- A Bilingual AI-Based Chatbot for Nutrition Education in a Food Is Medicine Intervention for High-Risk Pregnant Women: Design and Development Study.JMIR formative research · 2026Article
52 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundChatbots empowered by artificial intelligence (AI) can increasingly engage in natural conversations and build relationships with users. Applying AI chatbots to lifestyle modification programs is one of the promising areas to develop cost-effective and feasible behavior interventions to promote physical activity and a healthy diet.
objectiveThe purposes of this perspective paper are to present a brief literature review of chatbot use in promoting physical activity and a healthy diet, describe the AI chatbot behavior change model our research team developed based on extensive interdisciplinary research, and discuss ethical principles and considerations.
methodsWe conducted a preliminary search of studies reporting chatbots for improving physical activity and/or diet in four databases in July 2020. We summarized the characteristics of the chatbot studies and reviewed recent developments in human-AI communication research and innovations in natural language processing. Based on the identified gaps and opportunities, as well as our own clinical and research experience and findings, we propose an AI chatbot behavior change model.
resultsOur review found a lack of understanding around theoretical guidance and practical recommendations on designing AI chatbots for lifestyle modification programs. The proposed AI chatbot behavior change model consists of the following four components to provide such guidance: (1) designing chatbot characteristics and understanding user background; (2) building relational capacity; (3) building persuasive conversational capacity; and (4) evaluating mechanisms and outcomes. The rationale and evidence supporting the design and evaluation choices for this model are presented in this paper.
conclusionsAs AI chatbots become increasingly integrated into various digital communications, our proposed theoretical framework is the first step to conceptualize the scope of utilization in health behavior change domains and to synthesize all possible dimensions of chatbot features to inform intervention design and evaluation. There is a need for more interdisciplinary work to continue developing AI techniques to improve a chatbot's relational and persuasive capacities to change physical activity and diet behaviors with strong ethical principles.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.