Social Robots for Meaningful Seated Activities: Acceptance & Use by Older Adults.

Healthy aging requires the maintenance of good physical and cognitive activity. However, as they age, older adults often experience a decline in physical and cognitive activity, leading to a more sedentary lifestyle. Some older adults may not have a choice but to become increasingly sedentary as they age due to injury or deteriorated physicality.

Evaluating the impact of marketing interventions on sugar-free and sugar-sweetened soft drink sales and sugar purchases in a fast-food restaurant setting.

Background: Beverages high in added sugar, such as sugar-sweetened soft drinks, continue to be associated with various health issues. This study examines the effects of a manufacturer-initiated multicomponent intervention on the sales of sugar-free (SFD) and sugar-sweetened (SSD) soft drinks and the amount of sugar people purchase from soft drinks in a fast-food restaurant setting.

Methods: A database of monthly sales data of soft drinks from January 2016 to December 2018 was obtained from three treatment and three control fast-food restaurants.

A Preliminary Evaluation of Mobile Phone Apps to Curb Alcohol Consumption.

Mobile apps have become increasingly prevalent in modern society, and persuasive technology has a broader market than ever. Mobile-based alcohol cessation apps can promote positive behaviour change in users and improve the overall health of our society. This research aimed to understand the various features users respond to and make design recommendations for alcohol cessation apps.

Perceived Service Quality in HRI: Applying the SERVBOT Framework.

Services are intangible in nature and as a result, it is often difficult to measure the quality of the service. In the service literature, the service is usually delivered by a human to a human customer and the quality of the service is often evaluated using the SERVQUAL dimensions. An extensive review of the literature shows there is a lack of an empirical model to assess the perceived service quality provided by a social robot.

Using Twitter to promote a youth mental health agenda.

Agenda-setting theory suggests the media shapes public perceptions. Guided by this theory, this study examines the effects of organizational Twitter accounts on public discourse in the Twittersphere. The tweets that mention one of three youth mental health organizations were theorized to emanate the particular focus of the organization mentioned.

Consumer evaluation of 'Veggycation', a website promoting the health benefits of vegetables.

Issue addressed Whether the website Veggycation appeals to particular groups of consumers significantly more than other groups. Methods Australian adults aged ≥18 years (n = 1000) completed an online survey. The website evaluation instrument used was tested for validity and reliability.

Australian consumer awareness of health benefits associated with vegetable consumption.

Aim: The present study investigated the perceived health benefits of specific vegetable consumption to guide the use of nutrition and health claims on vegetable marketing collateral.

Methods: Free elicitation and consumer ranking data were collected through an online survey of 1000 adults from across Australia and analysed for the perceived importance of vegetables in the daily diet, number of serves consumed per day, knowledge about health-related benefits of specific vegetables and perceived health benefits of vegetable consumption.

Results: The importance of vegetables in the diet and daily vegetable consumption was higher in people from an English-speaking background, females, people aged 45 years and over and people living in non-metropolitan areas.