Living Lab for Citizens’ Wellness: A Case of Maintaining and Improving a Healthy Diet under the COVID-19 Pandemic

Natsuko Tabata, Mai Tsukada, Kozue Kubo, Yuri Inoue, Reiko Miroku, Fumihiko Odashima, Koichiro Shiratori, Takashi Sekiya, Shintaro Sengoku, Hideaki Shiroyama and Hiromichi Kimura
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Natsuko Tabata: Institute for Future Initiatives, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
Mai Tsukada: Higashiyamato City, Tokyo 207-8585, Japan
Kozue Kubo: Higashiyamato City, Tokyo 207-8585, Japan
Yuri Inoue: Higashiyamato City, Tokyo 207-8585, Japan
Reiko Miroku: Higashiyamato City, Tokyo 207-8585, Japan
Fumihiko Odashima: Institute for Future Initiatives, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
Koichiro Shiratori: Institute for Future Initiatives, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
Takashi Sekiya: Institute for Future Initiatives, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
Shintaro Sengoku: Institute for Future Initiatives, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
Hideaki Shiroyama: Institute for Future Initiatives, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
Hiromichi Kimura: Institute for Future Initiatives, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 3, 1-17

Abstract: The establishment and implementation of a healthy lifestyle is fundamental to public health and is an important issue for working-aged people, as it affects not only them but also the future generations. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and associated behavioural restrictions, lifestyles have altered, and, in certain environments, significantly worsened. In the present study, we conducted a project to improve the intestinal environment by focussing on the dietary habits of participants, utilising the living laboratory as a social technology to explore how to adapt to this drastic environmental change. We held eight workshops for voluntary participants and implemented a self-monitoring process of recording dietary behaviours (n = 78) and testing the intestinal environment (n = 14). Through this initiative, we developed a personalised wellness enhancement programme based on collaboration with multiple stakeholders and a framework for using personal data for research and practical purposes. These results provide an approach for promoting voluntary participation and behavioural changes among people, especially under the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as a practical basis for the government, academia, and industry to intervene effectively in raising people’s awareness of health and wellness.

Keywords: wellness; living lab; public health; local government; metabolomics; intestinal environment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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