A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of Chatbot Use in Older Adults for Lifestyle Change

September 8, 2025 updated by: Arkers, Wong, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

The Acceptability and Preliminary Effectiveness of Using A Smartphone-delivered AI-Based Chatbot in Older Adults for Lifestyle Modification: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the acceptability and preliminary effectiveness of a smartphone-delivered AI-based chatbot in promoting healthy dietary behavior and physical activity participation among older adults.

Study Overview

Status

Recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the preliminary effectiveness of a smartphone-delivered AI-based chatbot in promoting healthy dietary behavior and physical activity participation among older adults. It is a preliminary study with two arms.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

84

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • Hong Kong
      • Hong Kong, Hong Kong
        • Recruiting
        • The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
        • Contact:

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • aged 65 or above.
  • are community-dwelling.
  • are proficient in Mandarin.
  • have an Internet connection.
  • have at least one instant messaging app on the smartphone or agree to download one.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • have any neurocognitive disorders.
  • are unable to engage in moderate-intensity level of physical activity due to a preexisting medical condition.
  • live with another participant who will participate in this study.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Health Services Research
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Double

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Chatbot-based intervention
Participants will immediately receive access to a 2-month chatbot-based intervention
Other: A chatbot-based intervention
A smartphone-delivered AI-based chatbot program designed to provide personalized physical activity and dietary recommendations
Other: Waitlist
Participants will be placed on a waiting list before accessing the intervention
Other: A chatbot-based intervention
A smartphone-delivered AI-based chatbot program designed to provide personalized physical activity and dietary recommendations

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
The acceptance of the chatbot among older adults, as measured by a 14-item simplified version of the Senior Technology Acceptance Model questionnaire
Time Frame: End of study (2 months)
The 14-item questionnaire uses a 10-point Likert scale, ranging from 0 (strongly disagree, very poor, very uneasy, and very unsatisfied) to 10 (strongly agree, very good, very easy, and very satisfied)
End of study (2 months)
The Usability of the chatbot, as measured by the System Usability Scale
Time Frame: End of study (2 months)
The System Usability Scale (SUS) is a 10-item Likert scale questionnaire. The result of this survey is called SUS score, which ranges from 0 to 100 and provides information about overall customer satisfaction and usability. A higher score indicates better usability, while a lower score may suggest usability issues.
End of study (2 months)
The user experience, as measured by 10 open-ended questions
Time Frame: End of study (2 months)
A qualitative interview will be provided to the participants for asking their experience in using chatbot.
End of study (2 months)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change of dietary behavior, as measured by the intake of fruits and vegetables over the last seven days
Time Frame: Baseline, end of study (2 months)
We will ask them the amount of fruit and vegetable intake at baseline and end of study.
Baseline, end of study (2 months)
Change of walking, as measured by the Community Health Activities Model Program for Seniors questionnaire
Time Frame: Baseline, end of study (2 months)
The Community Health Activities Model Program for Seniors questionnaires (CHAMPS-Q) measures weekly frequency and duration of walking
Baseline, end of study (2 months)
Change of total activity and moderate and more vigorous physical activity variables, as measured by the CHAMPS-Q
Time Frame: Baseline, end of study (2 months)
The CHAMPS-Q measures weekly frequency and duration of a variety of lifestyle physical activities
Baseline, end of study (2 months)
Change of quality of life, as measured by the Hong Kong Quality of Life for Older Persons Scale
Time Frame: Baseline, end of study (2 months)
The Hong Kong Quality of Life for Older Persons Scale (HKQoLOCP) comprises a total of 21 items that can be categorized into different domains: subjective well-being, consisting of 4 items; health, comprising 5 items; interpersonal relationships, including 6 items; achievement-recognition, with 4 items; and finance and living conditions (1 item each)
Baseline, end of study (2 months)

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Arkers Wong, PhD, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

May 1, 2025

Primary Completion (Estimated)

October 30, 2025

Study Completion (Estimated)

December 31, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

March 23, 2025

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 23, 2025

First Posted (Actual)

March 28, 2025

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimated)

September 15, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

September 8, 2025

Last Verified

September 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Other Study ID Numbers

  • HSEARS20250305010

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

No sharing of data except reasonable request.

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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