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Review
. 2022 Aug;55(5):388-393.
doi: 10.1007/s00391-022-02083-x. Epub 2022 Jul 18.

Using wearables to promote physical activity in old age : Feasibility, benefits, and user friendliness

Laura I Schmidt  1 , Carl-Philipp Jansen  2 , Johanna Depenbusch  3 , Martina Gabrian  4 , Monika Sieverding  4 , Hans-Werner Wahl  4   5
Affiliations
Review

Using wearables to promote physical activity in old age : Feasibility, benefits, and user friendliness

Laura I Schmidt et al. Z Gerontol Geriatr. 2022 Aug.

Abstract
in English, German

Background: Wearables provide new opportunities to promote physical activity also among older adults but data on effectiveness and user friendliness are rare.

Objective: The effects of a comprehensive self-regulative intervention on moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and number of steps were examined using commercially available activity trackers. Acceptance regarding the devices was analysed in various domains.

Methods: In this study 80 older adults (mean = 67.03 years, standard deviation = 3.97 years; 59% women) wore a Fitbit Charge HR for 21 days including a baseline, a postintervention and a follow-up week. The intervention comprised feedback, goal setting and planning and 50% of the participants were additionally randomized to a role model component. Social cognitive predictors based on the health action process approach (HAPA) and user experience were assessed via questionnaires.

Results: The MVPA increased by an average of 19 min per week and steps by 1317 per day. An additional benefit of the role model component could be observed for MVPA. In the follow-up, the intervention effect was still significant for the number of steps, while MVPA dropped back to baseline. Multilevel models including HAPA variables explained small but significant amounts of variance in MVPA (8% within-person, 26% between-person) and steps (11% within-person, 12% between-person). User experience was rated as very high.

Conclusion: Providing an intervention based on established behavior change techniques and self-monitoring via wearables seems to be effective for increasing physical activity among older adults. The HAPA variables seem to play a limited role to explain activity levels. Acceptance of wearables can be expected to be high.

Zusammenfassung: HINTERGRUND: Wearables bieten Potenziale zur Förderung körperlicher Aktivität bei Älteren, jedoch sind Studien, die Effektivität und Nutzerfreundlichkeit gemeinsam betrachten, begrenzt.

Fragestellung: Es werden Effekte einer umfangreichen selbstregulativen Intervention zur Förderung körperlicher Aktivität auf Basis kommerzieller Aktivitätstracker sowie deren Akzeptanz und Bewertung untersucht.

Methode: In dieser Studie trugen 80 Personen (M = 67,03; SD = 3,97; 59 % Frauen) ein Fitbit Charge HR für insgesamt 21 Tage, einschließlich einer Baseline, einer Post-Interventions- und einer Follow-up-Woche. Die Intervention umfasste Bausteine wie Zielsetzung und Planung, zusätzlich wurden 50 % randomisiert einer Rollenmodell-Komponente zugeordnet. Sozial-kognitive Prädiktoren nach dem Health Action Process Approach (HAPA) und Bewertung der Wearables wurden über Fragebögen erfasst.

Ergebnisse: Moderat bis intensive körperliche Aktivität (MVPA) erhöhte sich nach der Intervention um 19 min/Woche und die Schrittzahl um 1317 pro Tag. Ein Zusatznutzen des Rollenmodell-Ansatzes zeigte sich für MVPA. Im Follow-up blieb der positive Effekt für die Schrittzahl signifikant, während MVPA auf das Baseline-Niveau zurückfiel. Multilevel-Modelle inklusive der HAPA-Variablen („health action process approach“) erklärten kleine aber signifikante Varianzanteile (MVPA: 8 % „within-person“, 26 % „between-person“; Schritte: 11 % „within-person“, 12 % „between-person“). Die Bewertungen (z. B. Nutzerfreundlichkeit) fielen sehr positiv aus.

Schlussfolgerung: Die Intervention auf Basis etablierter Behavior Change Techniken und Self-Monitoring durch Wearables konnte die körperliche Aktivität steigern, wobei Assoziationen zu HAPA-Variablen teilweise bestätigt wurden. Die Akzeptanz und Bewertung der Wearables kann als sehr gut eingestuft werden.

Keywords: Acceptance; Behavior change; Health action process approach; Self-monitoring; Usability.

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Conflict of interest statement

L.I. Schmidt, C.-P. Jansen, J. Depenbusch, M. Gabrian, M. Sieverding and H.-W. Wahl declare that they have no competing interests.

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