gEndurance: Behavioural Intervention in Type 2 Diabetes and Hypertension

High blood pressure and type 2 diabetes are among the most common chronic diseases in Germany. Both can be positively influenced by lifestyle changes.** But recommendations for more exercise, a balanced diet or other behaviour changes cannot be implemented equally by everyone.** Living conditions, habits and health needs differ – including between women and men. gEndurance therefore focuses on gender-sensitive and individually tailored support for lifestyle change.

How does gEndurance work?

At its centre is a digital application that supports patients in changing their lifestyle sustainably. For this purpose, health data is continuously collected via smartwatches and an app. Information about personal health, everyday life and the individual socio-cultural environment can also be included. An artificial intelligence analyses this various information. In this way, gender-specific differences and individual patterns can be recognised and personalised lifestyle recommendations derived from them. A special component is gamification: playful elements are intended to increase motivation and help integrate new behaviours into everyday life in the long term.

Developed together for individual healthcare

The project develops the technology with the aim of taking patients' actual needs into account. The application is not only meant to collect data but to support people concretely in actively shaping their own health. For this, the researchers are developing a demonstrator, which will then be tested in a pilot trial and scientifically evaluated. Self-efficacy is also a central focus: patients should experience that they themselves can influence their state of health and the course of their disease.

Prospects for digital prevention and therapy

gEndurance is intended to help further develop gender-aware approaches to the prevention and treatment of high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes. The findings gained can help to align digital health services more closely with individual and gender-specific needs in the future. In the future, the results can feed into the design of digital health applications as well as into existing telemedicine services and care concepts. gEndurance combines telemonitoring, artificial intelligence and gamification – for healthcare that supports people individually and empowers them to take their health into their own hands.

Project information

Consortium coordinator Institute for Social Research and Social Economy e.V., Saarbrücken Prof. Dr. Volker Hielscher

Partners German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence GmbH - Research Department Cognitive Assistants, Saarbrücken Johann Wolfgang Goethe University Frankfurt am Main - Department 16 Medicine and University Hospital - Centre for Health Sciences - Institute of General Practice, Qurasoft GmbH, Koblenz, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University Frankfurt am Main - Department 16 Medicine and University Hospital - Institute of Medical Informatics

Volume €2.12 million (93% funded by BMFTR)

Duration 11/2025 - 10/2028

Call for proposals Interactive Technologies for Gender-Specific Health (GeGe)