Mobile devices as support systems for health behaviour change

Abstract

A Behaviour Change Support System (BCSS) is a socio-technical information system designed to form, alter, or reinforce attitudes, behaviours, or compliance to a regular patterns of activities, and they do so without the use of coercive or deceptive elements. A health BCSS (HBCSS) is then a BCSS aimed at influencing health behaviours and wellbeing in a positive way. Accordingly, mobile devices can represent ideal tools to become the enabler portals for HBCSS. In this research we provide a review of the literature on mobile applications to see if and how they can be classified as HBCSS. We focus our review on Type 1 Diabetes and emphasize on whether persuasive elements are used and, if so, how. This in turn will aid us to assess what is required for mobile devices to become HBCSS.