scholarly journals The Acceptability, Feasibility and Effectiveness of Wearable Activity Trackers for Increasing Physical Activity in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (12) ◽  
pp. 6211
Author(s):  
Amy V. Creaser ◽  
Stacy A. Clemes ◽  
Silvia Costa ◽  
Jennifer Hall ◽  
Nicola D. Ridgers ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Children And Adolescents ◽  
Behaviour Change Techniques ◽  
Physically Active ◽  
Self Monitoring ◽  
Start Date ◽  
Activity Trackers ◽  
Wearable Activity Trackers

Wearable activity trackers (wearables) embed numerous behaviour change techniques (BCTs) that have previously been shown to increase adult physical activity (PA). With few children and adolescents achieving PA guidelines, it is crucial to explore ways to increase their PA. This systematic review examined the acceptability, feasibility, and effectiveness of wearables and their potential mechanisms of action for increasing PA in 5 to 19-year-olds. A systematic search of six databases was conducted, including data from the start date of each database to December 2019 (PROSPERO registration: CRD42020164506). Thirty-three studies were included. Most studies (70%) included only adolescents (10 to 19 years). There was some—but largely mixed—evidence that wearables increase steps and moderate-to-vigorous-intensity PA and reduce sedentary behaviour. There were no apparent differences in effectiveness based on the number of BCTs used and between studies using a wearable alone or as part of a multi-component intervention. Qualitative findings suggested wearables increased motivation to be physically active via self-monitoring, goal setting, feedback, and competition. However, children and adolescents reported technical difficulties and a novelty effect when using wearables, which may impact wearables’ long-term use. More rigorous and long-term studies investigating the acceptability, feasibility, and effectiveness of wearables in 5 to 19-year-olds are warranted.

scholarly journals “I shy away from them because they are very identifiable”: A qualitative study exploring user and non-user's perceptions of wearable activity trackers

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 205520762110549
Author(s):  
Katie Burford ◽  
Natalie M Golaszewski ◽  
John Bartholomew
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Self Determination Theory ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
Physically Active ◽  
Potential Barriers ◽  
Positive Feeling ◽  
Activity Trackers ◽  
Wearable Activity Trackers ◽  
External Sources

Objective Wearable activity trackers hold potential as a research tool to increase physical activity. However, long-term wearable adherence is low among users, which may be due to the limited understanding of the factors related to use and relation to health behavior theory. The purpose of this study was to qualitatively explore the perceptions of wearables among active adult users and non-users. Findings will inform potential barriers and facilitators for the adherence and adoption of wearables through the application of the Self-Determination Theory. Methods Six focus groups were conducted and equally stratified to wearable users ( n = 10) and non-users ( n = 10). Data were audio recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using an iterative approach creating first-level codes. This was followed by developing second-level codes that allowed for generating themes. Results For users, the wearables’ feedback provided them with validation, a sense of achievement, and other-determined motivation. Users appreciated the functionality of wearables, particularly with simpler and newer models. They also reported improvements in health behaviors . While both users and non-users had a general positive feeling towards wearables, they held similar concerns about cost, guilt, dependency, and accuracy. Non-users were unique in their concerns for materialism and functionality (i.e. ease of use and charge) associated with wearables. They also seemed to be more intrinsically motivated to be physically active by relying less on external sources of motivation as potentially provided by wearables. Conclusions Findings show that while both adult users and non-users held positive perceptions of wearables and concerns for feelings of guilt and dependency, widespread adoption and adherence may be prevented by differences in motivation for physical activity and concerns for cost, materialism, and functionality.

Wearable sensors and Mobile Health (mHealth) technologies to assess and promote physical activity in stroke: a narrative review

2016 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 34-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shamala Thilarajah ◽  
Ross A Clark ◽  
Gavin Williams
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Behaviour Change ◽  
Mobile Health ◽  
Wearable Sensors ◽  
Chronic Illnesses ◽  
Behaviour Change Techniques ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Activity Trackers ◽  
Wearable Activity Trackers ◽  
Smartphone Technology

Stroke is a leading cause of disability worldwide, with approximately one third of people left with permanent deficits impacting on their function. This may contribute to a physically inactive lifestyle and further associated health issues. Current research suggests that people after stroke are not meeting the recommended levels of physical activity, and are less active than people with other chronic illnesses. Thus, it is important to understand how to support people after stroke to uptake and maintain physical activity. Wearable sensors and mobile health (mHealth) technologies are a potential platform to measure and promote physical activity. Some of these technologies may incorporate behaviour change techniques such as real-time feedback. Although wearable activity trackers and smartphone technology are widely available, the feasibility and applicability of these technologies for people after stroke is unclear. This article reviews the devices available for assessment of physical activity in stroke and discusses the potential for advances in technology to promote physical activity in this population.

scholarly journals Physical Activity of Children and Adolescents with Hearing Impairments: A Systematic Review

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (12) ◽  
pp. 4575
Author(s):  
Wenhong Xu ◽  
Chunxiao Li ◽  
Lijuan Wang
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Children And Adolescents ◽  
Methodological Quality ◽  
Social Cognitive ◽  
Data Extraction ◽  
Single Subject ◽  
Hearing Impairments ◽  
Inclusion Criteria ◽  
Physically Active

Physical activity (PA) is important for the development of children and adolescents with hearing impairments (HI). This systematic review aims to summarise the existing literature pertaining to the PA of children and adolescents with HI. A systematic search was conducted on eight major electronic databases. Two reviewers independently screened and selected the returned articles, performed data extraction, assessed methodological quality and synthesised the data using an inductive approach. A total of 15 articles consisting of 14 survey studies and one single-subject intervention study met the inclusion criteria. These studies had good to excellent methodological quality. Participants with HI showed lower levels of participation in PA than participants without disabilities, but they were more physically active than those with other types of disabilities. Amongst the 12 PA correlates identified (i.e., gender, age, mother’s education and social cognitive constructs), only gender was a relatively consistent determinant, and boys are significantly more physically active than girls. Additional studies are needed to confirm the determinants of the PA in children and adolescents with HI to provide strong evidence for the development and implementation of PA interventions for this target group.

scholarly journals The prevalence of global physical activity among young people: a systematic review for the Report Card Brazil 2018

2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 367-387
Author(s):  
Valter Cordeiro Barbosa Filho ◽  
Rafael Martins da Costa ◽  
Margarethe Thaisi Garro Knebel ◽  
Bruno Nunes de Oliveira ◽  
Camila Brasileiro de Araújo Silva ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Young People ◽  
Children And Adolescents ◽  
Northeastern Brazil ◽  
Physically Active ◽  
Manual Search ◽  
Wide Variability ◽  
New Research ◽  
Objectively Measured

The aim of this study was to summarize data on the prevalence of global physical activity (PA) among children and adolescents in Brazil. This systematic review included an electronic search in 8 databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, LILACS, SPORTDiscus, BIREME, Scielo, and Google Scholar) and a manual search in the references of retrieved studies. Observational studies that assessed global PA among Brazilian children and adolescents were included. A narrative approach toward results was adopted. An initial database search reached 3276 potentially relevant titles (2534 titles after duplicate analysis); 92 (62 different studies) met all inclusion criteria. Studies were carried out between 2001 and 2015; most studies were conducted in Southern and Northeastern Brazil. Three were nationwide surveys (4.8%), but no studies included children aged 0-5 years. Eighteen different instruments for PA measurement were used; only two studies used objectively-measured PA. The most used definition was ≥ 300 minutes/week of moderate-to-vigorous PA. The overall proportion of young people who were physically active ranged from 6.5% to 92.3%. Fourteen studies (22.6%) found a prevalence of ≥ 50%. Three nationwide surveys reported the prevalence of physically active students ranging from 29.0% to 66.0%. A wide variability of PA estimates were found. Important research gaps (e.g., studies with objectively-measured PA, children aged up to 6 years-old and in Northern Brazil) should be considered to develop new research studies in Brazil.

scholarly journals Wearable Activity Trackers in the Management of Rheumatic Diseases: Where Are We in 2020?

Sensors ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (17) ◽  
pp. 4797
Author(s):  
Thomas Davergne ◽  
Antsa Rakotozafiarison ◽  
Hervé Servy ◽  
Laure Gossec
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Time Management ◽  
Automatic Monitoring ◽  
Great Accuracy ◽  
Self Monitoring ◽  
Activity Tracker ◽  
External Monitoring ◽  
Activity Trackers ◽  
Steps Per Day ◽  
Wearable Activity Trackers

In healthcare, physical activity can be monitored in two ways: self-monitoring by the patient himself or external monitoring by health professionals. Regarding self-monitoring, wearable activity trackers allow automated passive data collection that educate and motivate patients. Wearing an activity tracker can improve walking time by around 1500 steps per day. However, there are concerns about measurement accuracy (e.g., lack of a common validation protocol or measurement discrepancies between different devices). For external monitoring, many innovative electronic tools are currently used in rheumatology to help support physician time management, to reduce the burden on clinic time, and to prioritize patients who may need further attention. In inflammatory arthritis, such as rheumatoid arthritis, regular monitoring of patients to detect disease flares improves outcomes. In a pilot study applying machine learning to activity tracker steps, we showed that physical activity was strongly linked to disease flares and that patterns of physical activity could be used to predict flares with great accuracy, with a sensitivity and specificity above 95%. Thus, automatic monitoring of steps may lead to improved disease control through potential early identification of disease flares. However, activity trackers have some limitations when applied to rheumatic patients, such as tracker adherence, lack of clarity on long-term effectiveness, or the potential multiplicity of trackers.

scholarly journals Physical activity patterns, adherence to using a wearable activity tracker during a 12-week period and correlation between self-reported function and physical activity in working age individuals with hip and/or knee osteoarthritis

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elin Östlind ◽  
Anita Sant’Anna ◽  
Frida Eek ◽  
Kjerstin Stigmar ◽  
Eva Ekvall Hansson
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Rank Correlation ◽  
Joint Function ◽  
Physically Active ◽  
Self Monitoring ◽  
Knee Oa ◽  
Spearman’S Rank Correlation ◽  
Working Age ◽  
Wearable Activity Trackers

Abstract Background A majority of individuals with osteoarthritis (OA) are insufficiently physically active. Self-monitoring with wearable activity trackers (WAT) could promote physical activity (PA), and increased knowledge of PA patterns and adherence to using a WAT is needed. The aim of this study was to describe PA patterns and adherence to WAT-use during an intervention among participants of working age with hip and/or knee OA. The study further explores the correlation between self-reported joint function and PA. Methods Individuals of working age with hip and/or knee OA who used a WAT, Fitbit Flex 2, for 12 weeks were included. Participants monitored their PA in the Fitbit-app. An activity goal of 7,000 steps/day was set. Steps and minutes in light (L), moderate and vigorous (MV) PA were collected from the Fitbit. Self-reported joint function (HOOS/KOOS) was completed. Data was analyzed with linear mixed models and Spearman’s rank correlation. Results Seventy-five participants (45–66 years) walked on average 10 593 (SD 3431) steps/day, spent 248.5 (SD 42.2) minutes in LPA/day, 48.1 (SD 35.5) minutes in MVPA/day, 336.0 (SD 249.9) minutes in MVPA/week and used the Fitbit for an average of 88.4 % (SD 11.6) of the 12-week period. 86.7 % took > 7,000 steps/day and 77.3 % spent > 150 min in MVPA/week. Mean daily steps/week decreased significantly over the 12 weeks (β-coefficient − 117, 95 % CI -166 to -68, p = < 0.001) as well as mean daily minutes in LPA/week (β-coefficient − 2.3, 95 % CI -3.3 to -1.4, p = < 0.001), mean daily minutes in MVPA/week (β-coefficient − 0.58, 95 % CI -1.01 to -0.16, p = 0.008) and mean adherence to Fitbit-use per week (β-coefficient − 1.3, 95 % CI -1.8 to -0.8, p = < 0.001). There were no significant correlations between function (HOOS/KOOS) and PA. Conclusions The majority of participants reached 7,000 steps/day and the recommended 150 min in MVPA per week. However, PA decreased slightly but gradually over time. Adherence to using the Fitbit was high but also decreased during the intervention. Understanding PA patterns and the use of a Fitbit to promote PA could be beneficial in tailoring interventions for individuals with hip and/or knee OA.

scholarly journals Effects of Mobile Health Including Wearable Activity Trackers to Increase Physical Activity Outcomes Among Healthy Children and Adolescents: Systematic Review (Preprint)

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Birgit Böhm ◽  
Svenja D Karwiese ◽  
Harald Böhm ◽  
Renate Oberhoffer
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Children And Adolescents ◽  
Mobile Health ◽  
Methodological Quality ◽  
Controlled Trials ◽  
Cochrane Central Register ◽  
Healthy Children ◽  
Intervention Delivery ◽  
Activity Trackers ◽  
Wearable Activity Trackers

BACKGROUND Children and adolescents do not meet the current recommendations on physical activity (PA), and as such, the health-related benefits of regular PA are not achieved. Nowadays, technology-based programs represent an appealing and promising option for children and adolescents to promote PA. OBJECTIVE The aim of this review was to systematically evaluate the effects of mobile health (mHealth) and wearable activity trackers on PA-related outcomes in this target group. METHODS Electronic databases such as the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PubMed, Scopus, SPORTDiscus, and Web of Science were searched to retrieve English language articles published in peer-reviewed journals from January 2012 to June 2018. Those included were articles that contained descriptions of interventions designed to increase PA among children (aged 6 to 12 years) only, or adolescents (aged 13 to 18 years) only, or articles that include both populations, and also, articles that measured at least 1 PA-related cognitive, psychosocial, or behavioral outcome. The interventions had to be based on mHealth tools (mobile phones, smartphones, tablets, or mobile apps) or wearable activity trackers. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and non-RCTs, cohort studies, before-and-after studies, and cross-sectional studies were considered, but only controlled studies with a PA comparison between groups were assessed for methodological quality. RESULTS In total, 857 articles were identified. Finally, 7 studies (5 with tools of mHealth and 2 with wearable activity trackers) met the inclusion criteria. All studies with tools of mHealth used an RCT design, and 3 were of high methodological quality. Intervention delivery ranged from 4 weeks to 12 months, whereby mainly smartphone apps were used as a tool. Intervention delivery in studies with wearable activity trackers covered a period from 22 sessions during school recess and 8 weeks. Trackers were used as an intervention and evaluation tool. No evidence was found for the effect of mHealth tools, respectively wearable activity trackers, on PA-related outcomes. CONCLUSIONS Given the small number of studies, poor compliance with accelerometers as a measuring instrument for PA, risk of bias, missing RCTs in relation to wearable activity trackers, and the heterogeneity of intervention programs, caution is warranted regarding the comparability of the studies and their effects. There is a clear need for future studies to develop PA interventions grounded on intervention mapping with a high methodological study design for specific target groups to achieve meaningful evidence.

scholarly journals 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)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anastasia Kononova ◽  
Lin Li ◽  
Kendra Kamp ◽  
Marie Bowen ◽  
R.V. Rikard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Social Support ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Activity Tracker ◽  
Activity Trackers ◽  
Maintenance Stage ◽  
Wearable Activity Trackers

BACKGROUND Wearable activity trackers offer the opportunity to increase physical activity through continuous monitoring. Viewing tracker use as a beneficial health behavior, we explored the factors that facilitate and hinder long-term activity tracker use, applying the transtheoretical model of behavior change with the focus on the maintenance stage and relapse. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to investigate older adults’ perceptions and uses of activity trackers at different points of use: from nonuse and short-term use to long-term use and abandoned use to determine the factors to maintain tracker use and prevent users from discontinuing tracker usage. METHODS Data for the research come from 10 focus groups. Of them, 4 focus groups included participants who had never used activity trackers (n=17). These focus groups included an activity tracker trial. The other 6 focus groups (without the activity tracker trial) were conducted with short-term (n=9), long-term (n=11), and former tracker users (n=11; 2 focus groups per user type). RESULTS The results revealed that older adults in different tracker use stages liked and wished for different tracker features, with long-term users (users in the maintenance stage) being the most diverse and sophisticated users of the technology. Long-term users had developed a habit of tracker use whereas other participants made an effort to employ various encouragement strategies to ensure behavior maintenance. Social support through collaboration was the primary motivator for long-term users to maintain activity tracker use. Short-term and former users focused on competition, and nonusers engaged in vicarious tracker use experiences. Former users, or those who relapsed by abandoning their trackers, indicated that activity tracker use was fueled by curiosity in quantifying daily physical activity rather than the desire to increase physical activity. Long-term users saw a greater range of pros in activity tracker use whereas others focused on the cons of this behavior. CONCLUSIONS The results suggest that activity trackers may be an effective technology to encourage physical activity among older adults, especially those who have never tried it. However, initial positive response to tracker use does not guarantee tracker use maintenance. Maintenance depends on recognizing the long-term benefits of tracker use, social support, and internal motivation. Nonadoption and relapse may occur because of technology’s limitations and gaining awareness of one’s physical activity without changing the physical activity level itself.

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