The effect of wearable activity tracker social behaviors on moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and exercise self-efficacy
- UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
- Amanda M. Bireline (Creator)
- Institution
- The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
- Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/
- Advisor
- Paul Davis
Abstract: Regular engagement in physical activity (PA) offers significant health benefits across the various dimensions of wellness. Over the past three decades, substantial decreases in physical activity worldwide have caught the attention of health organizations, leading them to incorporate initiatives to increase PA participation. Of particular importance is PA done at or above the recommended level to yield positive health outcomes. Those crafting physical activity interventions are consistently trying to better understand health-related human behavior and employ techniques that will lead to long-term behavior change. Wearable activity trackers (WAT), typically worn as smartwatches, are useful tools in promoting physical activity engagement. Traditional interventions that have been shown to increase physical activity focus on eliciting support, self-monitoring of the behavior, and goal setting to promote change, and WAT often offer the very same features (e.g., self-regulation, goal setting, and opportunities to provide and receive support) (Myong-Won et al., 2020; Sullivan & Lachman, 2017). Current research has revealed moderate improvements on daily step count in wearable tracker users across all populations but consistent increases in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity are inconclusive (Brickwood et al., 2019; Ferguson et al., 2022; Laranjo et al., 2021; Li et al., 2021). Many health-related behavior theories highlight the role that social environments play in activity engagement. But the relationship between the use of social elements and contexts that are important to behavior choice on wearable devices is not well understood. The present study compared weekly physical activity of 112 adults from the greater New York City area randomized into conditions that employed either use or no use of the social engagement physical activity features on their wearable trackers over an 8-week period. Changes in exercise self-efficacy were also measured, given its importance to PA engagement, and the relationship between exercise self-efficacy and physical activity was evaluated. Although there was not a statistically significant difference between those who engaged about their activity with WAT social features and those who did not on weekly PA, there was an average increase of 60.5 ± 20.5 minutes of physical activity per week across all study participants. Exercise self-efficacy and physical activity were positively related (p = .004) and participants using the social comparison feature (the evaluation and comparison of one’s personal activity data to the activity data of those they are socially connected to on the device) most frequently had the greatest increase in physical activity. Given the prevalence of device ownership and digital communication in today’s society, these results suggest that conscious monitoring of WAT can significantly increase physical activity in an urban population.
The effect of wearable activity tracker social behaviors on moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and exercise self-efficacy
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Created on 5/1/2024
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Additional Information
- Publication
- Dissertation
- Language: English
- Date: 2024
- Keywords
- Physical Activity, Self-efficacy, Smartwatches, Wearable Trackers
- Subjects
- Activity trackers (Wearable technology)
- Exercise $x Social aspects
- Self-efficacy