2/29/2008 – Texting 4 Health

In February of 2008, the Center on Longevity cosponsored a “Texting4Health” conference with the Stanford Mobile Persuasion Lab, the CDC, the American Heart Association, and the Institute of the Future. The conference showcased current applications and new ideas about using mobile text messaging (SMS) to improve personal and public health. In addition to financial support by the Center, Anne Friedlander (then Director of the Center’s Mobility Division) served on the program committee and chaired a session on the role of texting to increase physical activity. The conference was attended by hundreds of local public health officials, technology business people, scholars, and students. A book based on the conference topics is being published in which Jill Fattor and Anne Friedlander have coauthored a chapter on texting to increase physical activity.