Wearable biometric devices encourage users to stick to healthy lifestyles

Using a wearable biometric monitoring device (WBMD), when supplemented with personalized education, feedback, and encouragement, can lead to lasting improvements in sleep and exercise behaviours, according to a recent study. Moreover, continuous use of WBMDs can help maintain such improvements.

“WBMDs show promise as a cutting edge means to improve health and prevent disease through increasing accountability,” the researchers said. “By regularly providing real-time quantitative data regarding activity, sleep quality, and recovery, users may become more aware of the impact that their lifestyle has on their health.”

Fifty-six participants were asked to wear a biometric tracking ring and received 3 months of either an interactive behavioural modification intervention or a nondirective wellness education control. Both arms were also given text message feedbacks. After 3 months, participants in the intervention arm saw a significant drop in body fat percentage relative to baseline (26.8 percent to 23.0 percent; p<0.001). [Front Physiol 2021;12:777874]

In turn, body fat percentage was found to be significantly lower in the intervention vs control group at this time point (23.0 percent vs 25.9 percent; p<0.001).

The combination of WBMD with the behaviour modification intervention likewise improved participant sleep patterns, reducing their sleep onset latency (SOL) from 0.42 h at baseline to 0.23 h at 3 months (p<0.001). SOL was significantly lower in the intervention group at 3 months than controls (0.23 vs 0.35 h; p<0.001).

At 3 months, the intervention likewise led to better physical activity, significantly increasing participant step count (7,446 to 9,626; steps; p<0.001) and percent time jogging (2.1 percent to 7.8 percent; p<0.001). For both measures, participants in the intervention arm were significantly superior to controls (p<0.001 for both).

In turn, the intervention group saw significant improvements in cardiovascular fitness, with peak oxygen consumption increasing from 36.3 ml/kg/min at baseline to 40.6 ml/kg/min at 3 months (p<0.001). This value was also significantly better than that in controls (35.4 ml/kg/min; p<0.001).

After the 3-month mark, participants in the intervention arm were further divided into two groups: one continued to receive the text message feedbacks for 9 more months, while the other stopped receiving feedback.

Over the next 9 months, participants who were still given feedback continued to show improvements in SOL, step counts, percent time jogging, and peak oxygen consumption. Those for whom feedback was terminated neither improved nor regressed.

“By leveraging wearable technology, the easy accessibility of personal health data has the potential to elicit significant behavioural changes when combined with personalized feedback to promote a more active and healthier lifestyle,” the researchers said.

“This study underscores the importance of integrating these devices in tailored, personalized behavioural interventions that provide dynamic educational content, real-time encouragement, and feedback with progressive goal setting,” they added.