The Perfecto Project
Artwork by Sam Romero
Led by CCSRE Faculty Director Paula Moya, the Perfecto Project is a fitness app that leverages culturally-specific narratives and artwork to encourage positive behavior change and healthier living.
Combining narrative theory, social psychology, and user experience research, the Perfecto Project examines the impacts of a smart-phone based health app for motiving middle-aged and elderly Latinx (and especially Mexican American) people who are seeking to increase their physical activity for better health. This project builds on WhoIsZuki, a previous research study that demonstrates the efficacy of narrative-based feedback for increasing physical activity among smartphone app users.
Why does culture matter? Latinx people are underrepresented in current health interventions despite being disproportionately affected by diabetes, heart disease and obesity. Research shows that when health interventions are cognizant of target populations’ cultures, their knowledge, attitudes, and behavioral intentions undergo a shift. The Perfecto Project aims to leverage the motivating effect of cultural specificity to devise the most effective digital health solutions.
Funders: Stanford Catalyst Motivating Mobility, Stanford Department of English, Stanford Center for Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity, the Mellon Foundation, the American Diabetes Association.