A PRISMA-ScR scoping review of AI-enabled chatbot and conversational interventions for children, adolescents, and families found just 14 eligible studies out of 2,730 records, with 12 published since 2023. Among 8 studies reporting direct physical activity or fitness outcomes, 4 showed significant improvement, while family involvement appeared in 10 studies and mobile app delivery in 9.

Why It Matters To Your Practice

• This is a fast-moving but still early evidence base for AI in pediatric lifestyle care, especially around physical activity, obesity, and overweight-related behaviors.

• For clinicians considering AI tools, the literature suggests growing feasibility and acceptability, but limited proof of consistent clinical benefit.

• Because many interventions included parents or caregivers, family-centered design may be important when selecting or recommending digital supports.

Clinical Implications

• Expect most currently studied tools to be delivered through mobile apps and to rely on personalized feedback, self-monitoring, and education rather than fully autonomous AI.

• Physical activity was the most common target, but effects were mixed: only half of studies with direct activity or fitness outcomes reported significant improvement.

• If integrating these tools into practice, set expectations around support and engagement rather than assuming reliable weight or exercise gains.

Insights

• The review included rule-based chatbots, hybrid personalization systems, generative AI, and isolated studies using recommender systems or computer vision.

• Most studies were recent and came from 10 countries, underscoring rapid innovation but also a relatively immature evidence base.

• Cultural tailoring was reported in only one study, highlighting a gap for equitable implementation across diverse pediatric populations.

The Bottom Line

• AI-supported pediatric lifestyle interventions are promising, especially for scalable behavior-change support, but the field remains small and heterogeneous.

• For now, clinicians should view these tools as adjuncts to family-based counseling and follow-up, not replacements for established care pathways.

• Future research needs clearer evaluation of family involvement, stronger outcome data, and more culturally tailored designs.