Ruim twee op de vijf mensen (44%) tussen de 16 en 79 jaar maakten in 2019 gebruik van een elektronisch hulpmiddel bij het sporten en bewegen, laat onderzoek van het Mulier Instituut zien[1]. Ook in 2021 bleek dat het aantal gebruikers van elektronische hulpmiddelen nog steeds stijgt – tijdens de coronapandemie[17]. Gebruikers van wearables sporten meer en zijn vaak jonger en hoger opgeleid. Het aantal mensen dat gebruikmaakt van wearables is sterk gegroeid[1].
Welke wearable?
Wearables zijn er in verschillende soorten: elektronische apparaten die je op het lichaam kunt dragen en activity trackers, smartwatches en apps op de telefoon die bijvoorbeeld je dagelijkse (sport)activiteiten bijhouden. Het grote verschil tussen activity trackers en smartwatches is dat activity trackers puur gericht zijn op fitness en gezondheid, terwijl de smartwatch een verlengstuk is van je smartphone en functies heeft die niet te maken hebben met gezondheid. Een activity tracker is iets nauwkeuriger in het meten van beweegactiviteiten. Een app op je telefoon kan net als een activity tracker gegevens registreren, alleen moet je hiervoor je telefoon op je lichaam dragen.
Hoe worden activity trackers gebruikt?
Activity trackers worden voornamelijk gebruikt voor individuele gezondheidsdoelen, of vanuit interesse in nieuwe technieken. Veel factoren zijn van invloed op het gebruik van activity trackers. Zo zorgen een mooi uiterlijk, een aantrekkelijke weergave van resultaten en het gevoel dat het dragen van een activity tracker leuk is voor meer acceptatie en gebruik.
Ook speelt gebruiksgemak een belangrijke rol in zowel de aanschaf als het langdurige gebruik: groot, lomp en niet makkelijk dragend, worden als belemmerend ervaren. Hierbij is een goede synchronisatie met andere apps ook van belang. Technische factoren, zoals de batterijduur en ervaren betrouwbaarheid van de metingen, zijn ook van invloed op het gebruik[2-5].
Het kunnen vergelijken van eigen resultaten met die van anderen (vaak leeftijdsgenoten) stimuleert langdurig gebruik. Afhankelijk van de persoonlijke voorkeur kan dit competitief of coöperatief zijn. De mening van de omgeving over het gebruik van een activity tracker kan ook van invloed zijn op (langdurig) gebruik. Te hoge verwachtingen van een activity tracker (bijvoorbeeld: het niet meten van fietsen, terwijl de gebruiker wel veel fietst) zorgen vaak voor slechtere ervaringen en daardoor minder duurzaam gebruik. Eerlijkheid en duidelijkheid over de mogelijkheden, het nut en de accuraatheid zijn daarom noodzakelijk voor langdurig gebruik[2-5].
Uiterlijke en functionele aspecten spelen dus een grote rol in het eerste gebruik en het duurzaam gebruik van activity trackers. Nog belangrijker is het aanleren van nieuwe gewoontes. Een voorbeeld daarvan is het dagelijks dragen van de activity tracker[2-5].
Hoe goed meten activity trackers?
De commercieel verkrijgbare activity trackers zijn redelijk betrouwbaar en valide in het tellen van stappen. Betrouwbaar betekent hier: elke herhaalde meting meet hetzelfde. Dat maakt een trend in de tijd goed inzichtelijk. Als een meting meet wat het moet meten, heet dat een valide meting. Lees meer over de definitie van betrouwbaarheid en validiteit in de Factsheet prestatiemonitoring.
Wat betreft energieverbruik en afgelegde kilometers scoren de commerciële activity trackers slechter en wisselvalliger dan de trackers die geschikt zijn voor het doen van onderzoek. Ook het meten van het slaappatroon kan bij de activity trackers sterk worden verbeterd. Bij 65-plussers zijn activity trackers gemiddeld gezien minder betrouwbaar. Dit komt omdat activity trackers over het algemeen minder goed in staat zijn om het lagere tempo (3,5 kilometer per uur) bij wandelen en andere activiteiten betrouwbaar te meten[6-9].
Welke effecten hebben activity trackers?
Activity trackers hebben een overwegend positieve invloed op het beweeggedrag van mensen, zo blijkt uit de literatuur. Mensen worden lichamelijk actiever. Maar het is nog niet bewezen dat een activity tracker helpt bij gewichtsverlies. De huidige trackers kunnen dat niet goed genoeg meten. Ook komt uit verschillende onderzoeken naar voren dat de resultaten effectiever zijn als activity trackers worden gecombineerd met gedragsveranderingstechnieken zoals sociale steun, doelen stellen en zelfmonitoring (feedback en beloningen).
Het merendeel van de activity trackers wordt nog niet gecombineerd met gedragsveranderingstechnieken als belemmerings-identificatie, actieplanning, herstructurering van negatieve attitudes en aanpassen van fysieke omgeving. Deze technieken zijn juist wel effectief en vooral geschikt voor mensen die minder gemotiveerd zijn om te bewegen. Ook kan ondersteuning door de omgeving van iemand helpen bij het vertrouwd raken met een activity tracker[10-20].
Hoewel activity trackers vaak worden genoemd als oplossing om het verschil in beweeggedrag tussen mensen met een hoge en lage sociaal economische status (SES) te verkleinen, blijkt uit onderzoek dat activity trackers hier niet in slagen. Uit een analyse van negentien studies bleek dat wearables alleen het beweeggedrag van mensen met een hoge SES positief beïnvloeden. Mogelijke verklaringen zijn dat mensen met een lage SES het lastiger vinden om met zulke technologische applicaties om te gaan en minder tijd hebben voor wearables[21].
Hoe gebruiken professionals activity trackers?
Activity trackers kunnen van toegevoegde waarde zijn in de zorg en bij het begeleiden van mensen naar een gezonde leefstijl. Het beweeggedrag is 24/7 te zien, mits gekoppeld met software en zichtbaar voor professional en gebruiker. Ook kan de gebruiker – naast het persoonlijke contact – begeleiding op afstand krijgen.
De gezondheidszorg maakt nog weinig gebruik van activity trackers, omdat zorgverleners vaak geen tijd hebben voor extra’s, zoals patiënten op afstand begeleiden via een app. Ook voelen zij zich niet altijd competent genoeg om dit te doen. Begeleiding met behulp van activity trackers door professionals die mensen gedurende langere tijd begeleiden, lijkt kansrijk.
Waardevolle stimulans
Activity trackers lijken waardevol om mensen te stimuleren meer te bewegen. Zeker voor het bijhouden van ontwikkelingen en trends in dagelijks beweegpatroon is een activity tracker betrouwbaar. Ook geldt dat begeleiding met behulp van activity trackers effectiever is in combinatie met gedragsveranderingstechnieken zoals zelfmonitoring en het stellen van doelen. Wel geldt dat activity trackers niet voor elke doelgroep effectief blijken. Of activity trackers ook op de lange termijn beweeggedrag veranderen, moet nog blijken uit onderzoek.
Bronnen
- Mulier Instituut. Apps & Devices 2019, Gebruik van elektronische hulpmiddelen bij sport en bewegen [Internet]. Geraadpleegd van: https://www.mulierinstituut.nl/publicaties/websheet-apps-devices-2019/ [Op 17 november 2020]
- Canhoto AI, Arp S. Exploring the factors that support adoption and sustained use of health and fitness wearables. Journal of Marketing Management. 2017, 33(1-2): 32-60.
- Shih PC, Han K, Poole ES, Rosson MB, Carroll JM. Use and adoption challenges of wearable activity trackers. IConference 2015 Proceedings. 2015.
- Ledger D, McCaffrey D. Inside wearables: How the science of human behavior change offers the secret to long-term engagement. Endeavour Partners. 2014; 200(93): 1.
- Kalantari M. Consumers’ adoption of wearable technologies: literature review, synthesis, and future research agenda. International. Journal of Technology Marketing. 2017; 12(3): 274–307.
- Evenson KR, Goto MM, Furberg RD. Systematic review of the validity and reliability of consumer-wearable activity trackers. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity. 2015, 12(1): 159.
- Fokkema T, Kooiman TJ, Krijnen WP, Schans CP van der, Groot M de. Reliability and validity of ten consumer activity trackers depend on walking speed. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 2017, 49(4): 793-800.
- Price K, Bird SR, Lythgo N, Raj IS, Wong JY, Lynch C. Validation of the Fitbit One, Garmin Vivofit and Jawbone UP Activity Tracker in Estimation of Energy Expenditure during Treadmill Walking and Running. Journal of Medical Engineering & Technology. 2017; 41(3): 208–215.
- Lee XK, Chee NIYN, Ong JL, Teo TB, Rijn E van, Lo JC, Chee MWL. Validation of a consumer sleep wearable device with actigraphy and polysomnography in adolescents across sleep opportunity manipulations. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. 2019 Sept; 15(9): 1337–1346.
- Braakhuis HEM, Berger MAM, Bussmann JBJ. Effectiveness of healthcare interventions using objective feedback on physical activity: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine. 2019 March; 51(3): 151-159
- Cai X, Qiu SH, Yin H, Sun ZL, Ju CP, Zügel M, et al. Pedometer Intervention and Weight Loss in Overweight and Obese Adults with Type 2 Diabetes: A Meta-Analysis. Diabetic Medicine: A Journal of the British Diabetic Association. 2016 Aug; 33(8): 1035–44.
- Dallinga JM, Zwolsman SE, Dekkers VT, Baart de la Faille-Deutekom M. Actiever en gezonder door leefstijl-apps? Een systematische review. Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd. 2016; 160: D936.
- Franssen WMA, Franssen GHLM, Spaas J, Solmi F, Eijnde BO. Can consumer wearable activity tracker-based interventions improve physical activity and cardiometabolic health in patients with chronic diseases?: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity . 2020;17(1): 1-20.
- Gal R, May AM, Overmeeren EJ van, Simons M, Monninkhof EM. The effect of physical activity interventions comprising wearables and smartphone applications on physical activity: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Medicine Open. 2018; 4(1): 42
- Groot M de, Kooiman T, Wolters AL, Kind I, Schans, CP van der. Digitaal programma ‘leef gezond met diabetes’. Tijdschrift voor gezondheidswetenschappen. 2015; 93(2): 53-54.
- Lewis ZH, Lyons EJ, Jarvis JM, Baillargeon J. Using an electronic activity monitor system as an intervention modality: A systematic review. BMC public health. 2015 June; 15(1): 585.
- Panicker RM, Chandrasekaran B. “Wearables on vogue”: a scoping review on wearables on physical activity and sedentary behavior during COVID-19 pandemic. Sport Sciences for Health. 2022 Jan 7:1-7.
- Sanders JP, Loveday A, Pearson N, Edwardson C, Yates T, Biddle SJ, Esliger DW. Devices for Self-Monitoring Sedentary Time or Physical Activity: A Scoping Review.” Journal of Medical Internet Research. 2016 May;18(5): e90.
- Sullivan AN, Lachman ME. Behavior Change with Fitness Technology in Sedentary Adults: A Review of the Evidence for Increasing Physical Activity. Frontiers in Public Health. 2017 Jan; 4, 289.
- Vries HJ de, Kooiman TJ, Ittersum MW van, Brussel M van, Groot M de. Do Activity Monitors Increase Physical Activity in Adults with Overweight or Obesity? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Obesity. 2016 Sept; 24 (10): 2078–2091.
- Western MJ, Armstrong ME, Islam I, Morgan K, Jones UF, Kelson MJ. The effectiveness of digital interventions for increasing physical activity in individuals of low socioeconomic status: a systematic review and meta-analysis. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity. 2021 Dec;18(1):1-21.
FAQs
What are the benefits of using wearable activity monitors and devices? ›
They help you become more aware of current exercise, sleep and eating habits. Greater awareness of your habits can help you identify behavior patterns. With this knowledge, it is easier to create health goals. In addition, activity trackers provide fun social outlets for you to share successes and challenge friends.
What is the overall purpose of wearable fitness trackers quizlet? ›-A fitness tracker is able to provide a quick visual reference to let the user know how the body is functioning, and their overall health and fitness. -By monitoring heart rate, the fitness tracker can calculate resting heart rates, sleep patterns, metabolic activity, and overall heart health.
What is wearable activity trackers? ›Wearable activity trackers (WAT) are electronic monitoring devices that enable users to track and monitor their health-related physical fitness metrics including steps taken, level of activity, walking distance, heart rate, and sleep patterns.
Do wearables actually improve health? ›The studies showed that fitness trackers not only encourage exercise and weight loss, but may also help lower blood pressure and cholesterol in people with type 2 diabetes and other health conditions.
What are 3 positives and 3 negatives of wearable technology? ›- Pro: Wearable Tech is Convenient.
- Con: Wearable Tech is Limited.
- Pro: Most Wearable Tech is Discreet.
- Con: Some Wearable Tech is Not Discreet.
- Pro: Wearable Tech is Useful.
- Con: Wearable Tech is Expensive.
Wearable technology has many uses, including health and fitness tracking, chronic disease management, interactive gaming, performance monitoring and navigation tracking. The following are the most popular current and next-generation applications of wearable technology: Epidermal skin technology.
What are the benefits of wearable medical devices? ›Wearable devices in healthcare are designed to collect the data of users' personal health and exercise, and can even send a patient's health information to a doctor or other healthcare professional in real-time.
Why are wearable devices important in healthcare? ›Wearable devices have proven useful in helping the patient and clinician create a plan of care and track outcomes. Wearable devices are also helpful in providing real-time data and promoting self-management for chronic conditions.
What are the 2 wearable devices? ›Apple Watches and Fitbits are classic examples of wearable technology, but those aren't the only devices being developed today. In addition to smart watches, VR and AR technology, smart jackets and a wide variety of other gadgets are leading us towards a better-connected lifestyle.
How does a wearable device work? ›Wearables are electronic technology or devices incorporated into items that can be comfortably worn on a body. These wearable devices are used for tracking information on real time basis. They have motion sensors that take the snapshot of your day to day activity and sync them with mobile devices or laptop computers.
Are there 3 types of activity trackers? ›
- Basic fitness trackers.
- Heart rate monitoring trackers.
- Heart rate monitoring trackers with GPS.
- Wearable technology is perfect for people who are always on the go. ...
- Increased productivity and efficiency at work. ...
- More efficient workouts. ...
- Better sleep quality. ...
- Improved safety. ...
- Provides instant access to information. ...
- They can be expensive. ...
- They require frequent charging.
Wearable technologies are a topic to be discussed since not everyone knows what are they and how they work. Here you will learn about other devices different from smartwatches and fitness trackers.
Why wearable technology is the future? ›The future of smart wearable technology is mostly linked with interconnectivity among devices and the ability to sync data between wearables and mobile phones. Energy harvesting is another big domain, and it pertains to converting body heat, movement or solar energy into power.
How many wearable devices are there? ›- Smart Ring. The majority of the people face trouble in handling their car keys, house keys, metro cards and credit cards together, and fear of losing any of them is real. ...
- Smart Belt. ...
- Gaming Armbands. ...
- Smart Shoes. ...
- Fitness Tracker. ...
- Smart Clothing. ...
- Smart Glasses. ...
- GPS tracking Band.
- Data security concerns. ...
- Technical concerns. ...
- Capabilities are limited. ...
- Wearable technology is expensive.
Simply put, wearable technology is a general term for a group of devices—including fitness trackers and smartwatches—that are designed to be worn throughout the day. These devices are often called wearables for short. Wearables have become increasingly popular over the past few years, but the basic idea is nothing new.
What is the impact of wearable technology? ›Will they help improve our health? Many wearables provide the ability to track your physical activity and store it to view at a later time. This can be a great resource, allowing us to set short-term and long-term goals and track our progress toward them.
How wearables are changing healthcare? ›As the technology evolves, healthcare wearables can now give minute-by-minute EKG readings, monitor blood sugar, check oxygenation levels, and help people use real-time data to manage their health while they go about their regular activities.
How do people use health data from wearable fitness trackers and their phones? ›
Apart from doctors monitoring their patients' states, wearable gadget users can track their health status and follow a healthy lifestyle. This includes sleep pattern tracking, heart rate monitoring, blood oxygen concentration or SpO2 monitoring, calorie tracking, steps, swimming tracking, etc.
Are smartphones wearables? ›For all intents and purposes, smartphones are already “wearables”, and that reality raises the bar for smartwatches in particular – it will be quite a while before any device on our wrist can supersede the smartphone.
What are sensors in wearable devices? ›Wearable sensors are integrated analytical devices that combine typical characteristics of point-of-care systems with mobile connectivity in autonomously operating, self-contained units.
Why do people like wearable technology? ›“And the insight they give customers into their personal data. In our own research, health and fitness tracking features have consistently ranked as the most important reason why people choose to buy smartwatches, and are some of the most used features on those devices.
How secure is data on wearable devices? ›Lack of encryption
Data collected by wearables are very valuable but some third-party apps neglect to include basic security standards and send or store information that's not encrypted.
How does a wearable fitness tracker measure steps? A wearable tracker continuously senses the movements of the body on a 3 axis accelerometer. The data is recorded all the time it is worn and powered up, which enables the tracker to trace if the individual is walking forward, running fast, or even standing still.
Can trackers be jammed? ›Can GPS be jammed? Yes, and without much difficulty. GPS jamming is a relatively uncomplicated technique that simply involves producing an RF signal strong enough to drown out the transmissions from GPS satellites.
What is the best type of tracker? ›- Tracki 2022 model 4G LTE Mini GPS Tracker.
- LandAirSea 54 GPS Tracker.
- Garmin vivofit jr. ...
- Spytec GPS GL300 GPS Tracker for Vehicles and cars.
- Vyncs-GPS Tracker for Vehicles 4G.
- GPS Tracker-Optimus 2.0 4G LTE.
- Bouncie.
- Brickhouse Security Spark Nano 7 GPS Tracker.
Three Types of Tracking
These are: Satellite-based GPS Vehicle tracking. Cell-Based GPS vehicle tracking. Cellular-phone based GPS.
Inadequate Security.
By nature, wearables aren't as secure as smartphones when it comes to protecting data. There is an enormous amount of information on our phones, and wearable technology is simply another gateway for hackers to gain access.
Do wearable devices cause health problems? ›
There is evidence that wearable devices can cause serious health issues, from headaches and dizziness to nervous system damage and the risk of miscarriage. Researchers have also found that the type of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields that these devices emit is possibly carcinogenic.
Do smartwatches emit radiation? ›RF transmitters in wearable devices operate at extremely low power levels and normally send signals in streams or brief bursts (pulses) for a short period of time. As a result, wearable devices expose the user to very small levels of RF radiation over time.
Is it worth wearing a fitness tracker? ›A fitness tracker may help. Studies show that consistently using a fitness tracker—a device that tracks your movement, such as a traditional pedometer or other wearable device, or a smartphone app—can increase your steps per day by more than a mile, especially if you establish a heart-smart daily goal.
Do fitness trackers sell your data? ›All that data you input into the app gets collected somewhere and in a lot of cases it's sold off to private companies. Just about every app does this, but fitness and health apps have an incredible amount of sensitive data about you. In the wrong hands, this data could be used against you.
Do activity trackers change behavior? ›Research indicates that integrating wearable devices into more comprehensive, personally tailored behavioral interventions improves compliance and behavior change.
What are the benefits of an activity monitor? ›An activity monitor can record how many steps have you made a day, how far have you gone, and how many calories have you burnt, and can detect the difference between going for a walk and going for a run.
Why is wearable health monitors important? ›With the introduction of IoT wearable devices, doctors can monitor a patient's heart rate, glucometer readings, calorie count, and other vital signs. This information can help doctors better manage patients' health and safety. It can also help doctors monitor the compliance of medications with treatment plans.
What are the benefits of using a fitness tracking device? ›A fitness tracker may help. Studies show that consistently using a fitness tracker—a device that tracks your movement, such as a traditional pedometer or other wearable device, or a smartphone app—can increase your steps per day by more than a mile, especially if you establish a heart-smart daily goal.
What is the importance of wearable devices? ›The Wearable technology aims to influence the fields of health and medicine, fitness, aging, disability, education, transportation, enterprise, finance, gaming, music, etc. The goal is to smoothly enter the daily lives of individuals and become a functional part of them.
What are 3 benefits of physical activity? ›Being physically active can improve your brain health, help manage weight, reduce the risk of disease, strengthen bones and muscles, and improve your ability to do everyday activities.
What are 5 benefits of physical activity? ›
- Exercise controls weight. Exercise can help prevent excess weight gain or help maintain weight loss. ...
- Exercise combats health conditions and diseases. ...
- Exercise improves mood. ...
- Exercise boosts energy. ...
- Exercise promotes better sleep. ...
- Exercise puts the spark back into your sex life. ...
- Exercise can be fun … and social!
By tracking our physical and emotional well-being, wearable technology can help us better understand ourselves and improve our overall health. Wearable technology can provide insight into your health by tracking your heart rate, blood pressure, temperature, calories burned and other key metrics.
What happens to your body when you do track? ›When you start out on your run, your body goes through a transition: Your breathing may become heavy, and you might notice your pulse quicken as the heart pumps harder to move oxygenated blood to your muscles and brain. As you hit your stride, your body releases hormones called endorphins.
What is the purpose of tracking? ›The purpose of a tracking system is to determine the location or direction of a target on a near-continuous basis. An ideal tracking system would maintain contact and constantly update the target's bearing (azimuth), range and elevation.
What is wearable technology and give 2 examples? ›Common types of wearable technology include smartwatches and smartglasses. Wearable electronic devices are often close to or on the surface of the skin, where they detect, analyze, and transmit information such as vital signs, and/or ambient data and which allow in some cases immediate biofeedback to the wearer.