Conference Agenda
Overview and details of the sessions of this conference. Please select a date or location to show only sessions at that day or location. Please select a single session for detailed view (with abstracts and downloads if available).
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Daily Overview |
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GR1_2_4: Pitch oral & WG Monitoring and surveillance of physical activity Group Meeting Location: Glass room 1 Session Chair: Pauliina Husu | |
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3:52pm - 3:55pm
Usability of Wearable Sensors in Lifestyle Interventions: Insights From User Experiences With Smartwatches 1: University of Groningen, UMCG, Department of Human movement sciences, Groningen, The Netherlands; 2: University of Groningen, UMCG, Centre for Rehabilitation Medicine, Groningen, The Netherlands Background: Wearable sensors have the potential to complement lifestyle interventions and support long-term adherence to behavioural change. However, usability remains crucial for sustained engagement with these devices. This study explores usability through user experiences with smartwatches among participants in two lifestyle interventions: a walking group and a lifestyle coaching program. Methods: In this exploratory mixed-methods study, participants (aged 43-74) wore a Garmin Vivosmart 5 smartwatch for 10–15 weeks without additional instruction. Usability (System Usability Scale; SUS) and user satisfaction (User Satisfaction Evaluation Questionnaire; USEQ) were assessed. Focus groups addressed user experience, perceived added value, and barriers to use and were analyzed using thematic analysis Results: From the focus groups (N=11) we identified three main themes. Participants reported increased awareness of lifestyle factors (e.g., activity, sleep) by wearing the smartwatch. However, this did not consistently translate into behaviour change. Participants valued smartwatch functions that aligned with personal health goals, such as increasing physical activity. Reported barriers included poor alignment between functions and personal goals, limited knowledge or support to interpret and act on the data, and negative experiences with certain functions (e.g., stress metrics perceived as stress-inducing). Conclusion: Factors to consider when optimizing usability of wearable sensors include aligning device functions with users’ personal goals and providing sufficient knowledge or support to translate data into actionable behaviour change. Practical guidance on how to use wearable device data may enhance usability and implementation of wearable sensors in the context of lifestyle interventions. Funding source: Project number 13948, NWO program KIC. | |
