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fitsquare

fitsquare is a research project run by the final years students of BSc Computer Science who aim to encourage increased physical activity for users of the foursquare social network.

The project investigates the design and development of an adaptive persuasive technology and its effectiveness in encouraging positive behaviour change on the foursquare social network.

According to WHO (World Heath Organization), physical inactivity is the fourth highest risk factor for global mortality. It amounts to as many as 6 percent of deaths around the world. fitsquare attempts to increase physical activity for users of foursquare by using persuasive technology to encourage positive behaviour change.

fitsquare defines positive behaviour change as an increase in the number of healthy check-ins. Healthy check-ins are check-ins that result in moderate to intensive physical activity or consumption of healthy food. Unhealthy check-ins are the result of long periods of sedentary time or the consumption of alcohol, cigarettes or food that is not healthy.

fitsquare uses persuasive technology, a technology that is designed to change its user’s behavior (captology). It is an adaptive persuasive technology the strategies of which are most effective for individual users.

You can participate in this research project by connecting your foursquare account with fitsquare by clicking a button. You will then need to complete a short registration form and you are done. You can also use fitsquare’s social, competition and tracking features that are made available through this web application.

Your details are not shared with or sold to any third party. Users can anytime withdraw from participating in fitsquare for any reason.

fitsquare is a wonderful new initiative to make people more healthy by cutting down on sedentary lifestyle that most of us have adopted. If fitsquare works to persuade you to exercise and eat right, you will definitely like to thank the platform for making you healthier.