Study of Cervical Spine Disease Prevention and Persuasion Strategies

in a Younger Population

Hanhan Li and Yi Liu

School of Fashion Accessory Art and Engineering, Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology, Beijing, China

Keywords: Persuasive Design, Persuasion Strategy, Cervical Spondylosis Is Younger, Prevention of Cervical

Spondylosis.

Abstract: In this paper, to address the phenomenon of high incidence of cervical spondylosis among the younger group,

the persuasive strategy for cervical spondylosis prevention among the younger group is studied based on

persuasive design. According to the characteristics of the young group under the phenomenon of rejuvenation

of health care, the corresponding persuasion strategy for cervical spondylosis prevention is proposed

according to the three parts of behavioral motivation, behavioral ability and trigger mechanism, and the

persuasion strategy is used to guide the design practice and industrial design practice to help the young group

to improve the awareness of cervical spondylosis prevention, help users to develop good neck habits and

reduce the high incidence of cervical spondylosis in the young group.

1 INTRODUCTION

Cervical spondylosis, as a degenerative lesion of the

cervical spine, often causes symptoms such as neck

and shoulder pain, upper limb numbness, and even

tetraplegia in severe cases, bringing serious economic

and mental burdens to patients and their families.

Nowadays, about one tenth of people in the country

suffer from cervical spondylosis, one third of young

and middle-aged people have mild or severe cervical

spondylosis, and more and more young people are

joining the ranks of cervical spondylosis, with the

growth rate increasing year by year. Through the

study of domestic and foreign literature, in the

prevention of cervical spondylosis, more research is

conducted from medical massage and conservation,

and very little is done to guide the prevention from

the perspective of industrial design and product

design.

Persuasive design is a design theory that uses

persuasive techniques in design to change user

behavior or attitude, and the theory is widely used in

the change of poor human lifestyle and behavior. A

reasonable and effective persuasion strategy can

guide more young people to develop good neck habits

and get rid of cervical spondylosis.

2 PERSUASIVE DESIGN AND

THEORY

Persuasive design was proposed by Professor Fogg in

the 1880s, and has been widely used in different fields

as the theory has been enriched. Professor Fogg

proposed and set up the model of user behavior: FBM

(Fogg Behavior Model), which is used to gain insight

into human behavior. The model divides the elements

of behavior generation into sufficient motivation,

sufficient ability to act, and effective triggers, one of

which is indispensable.

Figure 1: FBM behavior model diagram.

In the FBM behavior model diagram, the

horizontal coordinate is ability, the vertical

Li, H. and Liu, Y.

Study of Cervical Spine Disease Prevention and Persuasion Strategies in a Younger Population.

DOI: 10.5220/0011160200003444

In Proceedings of the 2nd Conference on Artiﬁcial Intelligence and Healthcare (CAIH 2021), pages 34-38

ISBN: 978-989-758-594-4

coordinate is motivation, and the curve represents the

behavior curve. Above the curve and the curve is the

behavior success zone, which indicates that the target

behavior will occur; below the curve is the behavior

failure zone, in which the trigger behavior fails and

no behavior will occur. The target behavior will occur

only if motivation, ability and trigger factors are

available and appropriate at the same time.

3 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE

YOUNG GROUP UNDER THE

WAVE OF HEALTH AND

WELLNESS

With the changes in the way society works, lives and

communicates for entertainment, health and wellness

are gradually penetrating into people's daily lives. For

the young group, the change in lifestyle under the

wave of health and wellness has led to a change in the

behavior and psychological characteristics of the

young group.

Table 1: Analysis of psychological characteristics of the younger group.

Behavioral

characteristics

Punk health

The young group, while working hard and staying up

late to consume themselves, also use the punk health

care method to find a trace of health comfort amidst the

pressure of work and life.

Consumption-

based life saving

Faced with the pressure of life and work, young people

start various health activities and buy health products to

improve their illusory sense of health through

consumption.

Psychological

characteristics

Psychological

characteristics

Health anxiety

Modern young people work under high pressure and live

a fast-paced life, and generally possess health anxiety,

feeling easily tired and weak, etc.

Admiration for

modern medical

science

Modern young people are generally well educated and

have a high admiration for the power of modern medical

science.

Willingness to

try new things

Modern young people are energetic, curious, and willing

to do whatever they want to do, and are willing to try

and dare to try new products.

4 ANALYSIS OF PERSUASION

STRATEGY FOR PREVENTION

OF CERVICAL SPONDYLOSIS

IN YOUNGER AGE GROUPS

Figure 2: FBM behavior model diagram.

Long-term ambulatory work keeps the neck at rest for

a long time, which is a long-term fixed unconscious

behavior that can be easily ignored. Therefore, in

order to make users complete the target behavior of

prevention, we need to analyze the behavioral

motivation, behavioral ability and triggering

mechanism of the target behavior, and guide the

user's attitude or behavior through design, so that it

can be integrated into the life in a flexible and non-

compulsory way to play a role and cultivate good

behavioral habits of users.

4.1 Analysis of Behavioral Motivation

After the young group realizes the damage of

incorrect neck habits to themselves, they will realize

the importance of neck health and will increase their

concern about cervical spine problems. We can make

use of the anxiety and sense of urgency of the young

Study of Cervical Spine Disease Prevention and Persuasion Strategies in a Younger Population

group about their own health to enhance the

motivation of users to complete the target behavior,

and make use of the high admiration for medical

science and authority to make users motivated to

complete the target behavior and promote the

generation of continuous target behavior, so as to

achieve the purpose of developing good neck habits.

4.2 Analysis of Behavioral Capabilities

Time, venue, and equipment are the most frequent

obstacles encountered by younger groups in the

process of performing cervical spondylosis

prevention. To improve the user's behavior in the

process of cervical spondylosis prevention and

increase the user's sense of control in completing the

target behavior, and at the same time to choose the

exercise that makes the user exercise without burden

and makes the operation process simple and saves the

behavior time, we can start from the user's familiar

behavior habits to help the user accept and complete

the target behavior quickly.

4.3 Analysis of the Trigger Mechanism

The bad use habits of the young group's neck have

become unconscious inertia behavior, under the

previous behavior habits, the target behavior is easily

in a state of forgetfulness, timely and effective

reminders or feedback and other trigger mechanisms

can help users correct the current incorrect use of the

neck in a timely manner and effectively prevent the

onset of cervical spondylosis.

5 CONSTRUCTION OF

PERSUASION STRATEGY FOR

PREVENTION OF CERVICAL

SPONDYLOSIS IN THE

YOUNGER GROUP

With the emergence of new things, the psychological

characteristics and behavioral characteristics of

modern young people under the wave of health care

rejuvenation are also quietly changing. Based on the

analysis of the characteristics of young people

nowadays, the user's behavior is divided into three

segments: before the target behavior, during the

target behavior and after the target behavior, and the

"three segments and six steps" persuasion strategy

shown in Figure 3 is constructed to promote the

occurrence of the user's cervical spondylosis

prevention behavior.

5.1 The First Segment before the

Target Behavior Occurs

Urgency People will avoid exercise as much as

possible and find ways to be lazy. The sense of

urgency is more likely to increase the target users'

commitment to the target behavior and enhance the

motivation to take action. For the young group,

recognizing the danger of cervical spondylosis will

make it easier to generate concern for their own

health and a sense of urgency to improve the current

situation, thus increasing the user's motivation to

complete the target behavior.

Trust Trust can make people give fuller play to

their subjective initiative, and the driving force to

make the target behavior happen is to believe that

their behavior has an effect and that their efforts will

be rewarded. Younger groups are more likely to

trigger the occurrence of continuous goal behavior

when they have trust in the effects they get after

performing the target behavior.

5.2 The Second Segment Target

Behavior Occurs in the Middle

Familiarity. Improving ability and increasing skills

cannot be achieved in the short term. Using users'

familiar behavior habits to help them change their

behavior is more easily accepted by users. Bad neck

habits are unconscious behaviors of users. It is easier

to improve the acceptance of young users to prevent

cervical spondylosis by starting from the familiar

behavioral habits of young groups.

Control. Users have a higher sense of "control" when

using products or completing tasks, which will make

users' attitude more positive and secure. Young

people are more willing to be in control, to have

control over their own behavior and subsequent

development, and to choose the behavior pattern that

suits them, so that young people can better

accomplish the target behavior.

No burden. When completing the target behavior, it

is easy to give up the target behavior because of the

obstacles in the process. No burden target behavior

can provide a better experience for the users, so that

it can be sustained in the long run.

CAIH 2021 - Conference on Artiﬁcial Intelligence and Healthcare

Figure 3: The "three stages and six steps" persuasion strategy.

When young groups perform the target behavior

of cervical spondylosis prevention, they should avoid

causing obstacles such as time, venue and equipment,

and make scientific time allocation and process

design for exercise time to avoid increasing the

cognitive cost, choosing the load, and reducing the

action burden of completing the target behavior, so as

to promote users' continuity of the target behavior.

5.3 The Third Segment After the

Target Behavior Occurs

Feedback People expect to receive feedback after

giving or receiving something, and this feedback will

lead to a new sense of obligation to try to take new

actions. Younger users are more concerned about the

feedback they receive after completing the target

behavior and will make adjustments based on that

feedback, which in turn increases their motivation for

the next behavior to occur after completing the target

behavior.

6 DESIGN PRACTICE OF

PERSUASION STRATEGY IN

CERVICAL SPINE DISEASE

PERVENTION PRODUCTS

6.1 Design Orientation

Based on the "three stages and six steps" persuasion

strategy built for the prevention of cervical

spondylosis in younger groups, we carried out

product design practice for the prevention of cervical

spondylosis in younger groups. Analyze the

advantages and shortcomings of existing cervical

spondylosis prevention products, add the concept of

persuasive movement to the product, guide users to

carry out neck activities independently and

unconsciously, help the younger group to develop

good neck habits and prevent neck discomfort and

even cervical spondylosis.

The main functions of the designed product are:

- Remind and persuade users to exercise within a

specified period of time.

- To guide users to exercise and reduce their

burden when exercising.

- Help users to develop the habit of neck exercise.

6.2 Design Solution

A desktop movable intelligent robot is integrated and

designed through the setting of the main functions.

Users can set it according to their needs, and the robot

makes appropriate reminders to persuade users to

perform neck exercises within a specified time.

• The vibration and rotation of the robot attracts

the user's attention and wakes them up from the long

period of immobility, making them aware of the need

for neck movement. At the same time, the neck of the

robot is equipped with different colored light bands

for flashing, highlighting the problem of the user's

neck condition at different times, arousing the user's

internal alertness and anxiety, stimulating the user's

motivation to relax the neck, and thus achieving the

design effect of persuasion.

Figure 4: Product model display.

• Through visualization of neck exercise

guidelines to make more users more concise and

direct when doing exercise, reducing the user's

Study of Cervical Spine Disease Prevention and Persuasion Strategies in a Younger Population

exercise burden. When the user is doing neck

exercise, the screen on the head of the robot will show

the current exercise and the next action guidance, and

the head of the robot will also swing with the

movement to interact with the user, increasing the fun

and experience of the user when exercising, reducing

the burden of exercise and thus making it easier for

the user to form a habit.

Figure 5: On-screen interaction interface.

• The screen on the head of the little robot shows

the length and results of the exercise after the user

exercises, giving the user positive feedback and

helping the user to quickly understand the effect of

their exercise, so that the user has a sense of

satisfaction and accomplishment. At the same time,

users can view their exercise situation for days,

weeks, months and years, as well as their neck

situation, which motivates users to carry out

continuous target behavior.

7 CONCLUSIONS

The core of persuasive design is to guide or change

the user's attitude or behavior. The high incidence of

cervical spondylosis among young people is caused

by bad behavioral habits and unconscious inertia of

the neck. Therefore, to prevent the occurrence of

cervical spondylosis, we should start from the young

group itself, understand the behavioral and

psychological characteristics of users, and apply

suitable persuasive strategies to guide the young

group to develop good neck habits and prevent the

occurrence of cervical spondylosis.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This research was financially supported by Beijing

Institute of Fashion Technology College of First-

class specialty construction oriented industrial design

Project (NHFZ20210218) and Beijing Institute of

Fashion Technology College of 2021 Graduate

Research Innovation Project (120301990131).

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