Acceptance of Commercially Available Wearable Activity Trackers Among Adults Aged Over 50 and With Chronic Illness: A Mixed-Methods Evaluation

Abstract

BackgroundPhysical inactivity and sedentary behavior increase the risk of chronic illness and death. The newest generation of “wearable” activity trackers offers potential as a multifaceted intervention to help people become more active.ObjectiveTo examine the usability and usefulness of wearable activity trackers for older adults living with chronic illness.MethodsWe recruited a purposive sample of 32 participants over the age of 50, who had been previously diagnosed with a chronic illness, including vascular disease, diabetes, arthritis, and osteoporosis. Participants were between 52 and 84 years of age (mean 64); among the study participants, 23 (72%) were women and the mean body mass index was 31 kg/m2. Participants tested 5 trackers, including a simple pedometer (Sportline or Mio) followed by 4 wearable activity trackers (Fitbit Zip, Misfit Shine, Jawbone Up 24, and Withings Pulse) in random order. Selected devices represented the range of wearable products and features available on the Canadian market in 2014. Participants wore each device for at least 3 days and evaluated it using a questionnaire developed from the Technology Acceptance Model. We used focus groups to explore participant experiences and a thematic analysis approach to data collection and analysis.ResultsOur study resulted in 4 themes: (1) adoption within a comfort zone; (2) self-awareness and goal setting; (3) purposes of data tracking; and (4) future of wearable activity trackers as health care devices. Prior to enrolling, few participants were aware of wearable activity trackers. Most also had been asked by a physician to exercise more and cited this as a motivation for testing the devices. None of the participants planned to purchase the simple pedometer after the study, citing poor accuracy and data loss, whereas 73% (N=32) planned to purchase a wearable activity tracker. Preferences varied but 50% felt they would buy a Fitbit and 42% felt they would buy a Misfit, Jawbone, or Withings. The simple pedometer had a mean acceptance score of 56/95 compared with 63 for the Withings, 65 for the Misfit and Jawbone, and 68 for the Fitbit. To improve usability, older users may benefit from devices that have better compatibility with personal computers or less-expensive Android mobile phones and tablets, and have comprehensive paper-based user manuals and apps that interpret user data.ConclusionsFor older adults living with chronic illness, wearable activity trackers are perceived as useful and acceptable. New users may need support to both set up the device and learn how to interpret their data.

The Use of Wearable Activity Trackers Among Older Adults: Focus Group Study of Tracker Perceptions, Motivators, and Barriers in the Maintenance Stage of Behavior Change (Preprint)

“…Two focus groups were conducted in February and two others in May to account for seasonal effects on physical activity [36]. At the end of the sessions, participants were given an activity tracker, Garmin Vivofit 2, for two weeks in February and four weeks in May and then returned for follow-up focus groups.…”

“…Previous studies have explored activity tracker use mostly at the initial stages of use [3,7,[36][37] and have not systematically evaluated the spectrum of features used, liked, and wanted by adults aged 65 and older.…”

Activity Trackers, Relational Affordances, and Device Ecologies of Fitness Technologies (Preprint)

“…Several studies in the past three years [e.g., 6,7,10,11] have focused on how different groups of users perceive and interact with the affordances of activity tracking devices. For example, recent studies have explored older adults' acceptance of and experiences with activity trackers [12,13]. Fritz et al [7] studied how users' practices surrounding an activity tracker evolve over long periods of use.…”

Wearable sensors: can they benefit patients with chronic kidney disease?

“…Various studies have used and validated activity trackers to measure PA in both healthy controls [88,89] and CKD patients [90][91][92] and showed that this objective measure is more accurate than self-reported PA by questionnaires, which often over-or underestimates a patients' PA level [93]. Studies of Mercer et al demonstrated that even in older adults with a chronic illness, PA increased after wearing an activity tracker [94,95]. But, appropriate behavior changing techniques, such as individual goal setting and feedback on performance, suitable for elderly should be incorporated in the trackers [94,95], and proper support with regard to setting-up the trackers and interpretation of the data should be provided [94].…”

“…Studies of Mercer et al demonstrated that even in older adults with a chronic illness, PA increased after wearing an activity tracker [94,95]. But, appropriate behavior changing techniques, such as individual goal setting and feedback on performance, suitable for elderly should be incorporated in the trackers [94,95], and proper support with regard to setting-up the trackers and interpretation of the data should be provided [94].…”