The Effect of a Mobile and Wearable Device Intervention on Increased Physical Activity to Prevent Metabolic Syndrome: Observational Study (Preprint)

Abstract

BACKGROUND Research on whether wearable devices and app-based interventions can effectively prevent metabolic syndrome (MetS) by increasing physical activity (PA) among middle-aged people living in the rural areas of South Korea remains insufficient. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to determine whether mobile and wearable device interventions can improve health indicators, including PA, in MetS risk groups in rural South Korea. METHODS In this clinical trial, performed from December 2019 to June 2020, participants were asked to use a wearable device (GalaxyWatch Active1) alone (standard intervention) or the wearable device and mobile app (Yonsei Health Korea) (enhanced intervention). Clinical measures and International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) scores were evaluated initially and after 6 months. The number of steps was monitored through the website. The primary outcome was the difference in PA and clinical measures between the enhanced intervention and standard intervention groups. The secondary outcome was the decrease in MetS factors related to the change in PA. RESULTS A total of 267 participants were randomly selected, 221 of whom completed the 6-month study. Among the 221 participants, 113 were allocated to the enhanced intervention group and 108 were allocated to the standard intervention group. After 6 months, the body weight and BMI for the enhanced intervention group decreased by 0.6 (SD 1.87) and 0.21 (SD 0.76), respectively (<i>P</i><.001). In both groups, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, waist circumference, and glycated hemoglobin A<sub>1c</sub> (HbA<sub>1c</sub>) decreased (<i>P</i><.001). The total PA was approximately 2.8 times lower in the standard intervention group (mean 44.47, SD 224.85) than in the enhanced intervention group (mean 124.36, SD 570.0). Moreover, the enhanced intervention group achieved the recommended level of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA), whereas the standard intervention group did not (188 minutes/week vs 118 minutes/week). Additionally, the number of participants in the enhanced intervention group (n=113) that reached 10,000 daily steps or more after the intervention increased from 9 (8.0%) to 26 (23.1%) (<i>P</i>=.002), whereas this number did not increase significantly in the standard intervention group (n=108), from 8 (7.4%) to 16 (14.8%) (<i>P</i>=.72). The number of participants without any MetS factors increased by 12 (11%) and 8 (7%) in the enhanced and standard intervention group, respectively. CONCLUSIONS PA monitoring and an intervention using wearable devices were effective in preventing MetS in a rural population in Korea. Blood pressure, waist circumference, and HbA<sub>1c</sub> were improved in both intervention groups, which were effective in reducing MetS factors. However, only the participants in the enhanced intervention group continuously increased their MVPA and step counts above the recommended level to prevent MetS. Body weight and BMI were further improved, and a higher number of participants with zero MetS factors was attained from the enhanced intervention. CLINICALTRIAL Clinical Research Information Service KCT0005783; https://cris.nih.go.kr/cris/search/detailSearch.do/16123

Effects of Walking Promotion Using Smart Mobile Activity Meter on Changes in Metabolic Health

“…In addition, Schraplau et al (Schraplau et al, 2021) reported that a preventive effect could be achieved by combining a mobile diagnostic approach with an intervention program that includes lifestyle monitoring through wearables and mobile applications, especially nutrition and exercise programs that can be easily integrated into daily routines. These results are attributed to the importance of additional education on metabolic syndrome, normal baseline, correct eating habits, and increased activity (Kim et al, 2022).…”

“…Wearable devices can promote health behavior change, but their successful use and potential health benefits depend more on the design of an engagement strategy than on the nature of the technology (Patel et al, 2012). Here, the need for individual encouragement, competition and collaboration, and effective feedback related to human behavior is emphasized (Kim et al, 2022). In this study, personalized knowledge and information provided through mobile notifications and apps acted as a major factor in preventing MetS by continuously maintaining the recommended PAs presented by guidelines in Korea and the United States.…”

“…Mobile health (mHealth) technology using apps and wearable devices is becoming increasingly popular as it allows patients to monitor their health status (Kim et al, 2022). Previous studies have reported the great potential of the Internet and mobile phone-based mHealth educational interventions to support patients with chronic conditions and promote disease self-management (Petrella et al, 2014;Wong et al, 2018).…”