Application of Activity Trackers among Nursing Home Residents—A Pilot and Feasibility Study on Physical Activity Behavior, Usage Behavior, Acceptance, Usability and Motivational Impact

Tina Auerswald, Jochen Meyer, Kai von Holdt and Claudia Voelcker-Rehage
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Tina Auerswald: Institute of Human Movement Science and Health, Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences, Chemnitz University of Technology, Thüringer Weg 11, 09126 Chemnitz, Germany
Jochen Meyer: OFFIS—Institute for Information Technology Oldenburg, Escherweg 2, 26121 Oldenburg, Germany
Kai von Holdt: OFFIS—Institute for Information Technology Oldenburg, Escherweg 2, 26121 Oldenburg, Germany
Claudia Voelcker-Rehage: Institute of Human Movement Science and Health, Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences, Chemnitz University of Technology, Thüringer Weg 11, 09126 Chemnitz, Germany

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 18, 1-21

Abstract: The aim of this study was to assess physical activity and sedentary behavior, as well as the usage behavior, usability, acceptance, and motivational impact of an applied activity tracker among nursing home residents. Physical activity and usage behavior were measured among 22 residents (68 to 102 years) by use of a commercial activity tracker worn during waking hours for 77 days on average. Usability, acceptance, and motivational impact of the tracker were examined using an adapted questionnaire. Participants walked, on average, 1007 ± 806 steps per day and spent, on average, more than 9 h (77.2% of their waking time) sedentary. The average steps/day increased significantly within the first five weeks of wearing the activity tracker. The acceptance rate was high (94.4%). The tracker was used for 65.4% of the individual study period, and usage behavior did not significantly change during the first five wearing weeks. Participants with a usage time of ≥50% walked significantly more steps per day than those with a lower usage. Overall, we were able to reveal that the residents were highly inactive and sedentary. The results support the feasibility of a long-term application of activity trackers to assess or even increase physical activity behavior.

Keywords: activity tracker; long-term care; physical activity; sedentary behavior; long-term use (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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