Beyond novelty effect: a mixed-methods exploration into the motivation for long-term activity tracker use

Abstract

Objectives Activity trackers hold the promise to support people in managing their health through quantified measurements about their daily physical activities. Monitoring personal health with quantified activity tracker-generated data provides patients with an opportunity to self-manage their health. Many have been conducted within short-time frames; makes it difficult to discover the impact of the activity tracker’s novelty effect or the reasons for the device’s long-term use. This study explores the impact of novelty effect on activity tracker adoption and the motivation for sustained use beyond the novelty period. Materials and methods This study uses a mixed-methods approach that combines both quantitative activity tracker log analysis and qualitative one-on-one interviews to develop a deeper behavioral understanding of 23 Fitbit device users who used their trackers for at least 2 months (range of use = 69–1073 days). Results Log data from users’ Fitbit devices revealed 2 stages: the novelty period and the long-term use period. The novelty period for Fitbit users in this study was approximately 3 months, during which they might have discontinued using their devices. Discussion The qualitative interview data identified various factors that users to continuously use the Fitbit devices in different stages. The discussion of these results provides design implications to guide future development of activity tracking technology. Conclusion This study reveals important dynamics emerging over long-term activity tracker use, contributes new knowledge to consumer health informatics and human-computer interaction, and offers design implications to guide future development of similar health-monitoring technologies that better account for long-term use in support of patient care and health self-management.

How does a predictive low glucose suspend (PLGS) system tackle pediatric lifespan challenges in diabetes treatment? Real world data analysis

“…The limitations of our study include the relatively small number of patients, however the real life setup of the analysis allows for the collection of high quality data. An additional limitation is the relatively short observation time, which might have distorted our results, however only 2 patients with 3 months of observation were included. Another limitation is the lack of circadian rhythm analysis, therefore we were not able to prove the prevention of nocturnal hypoglycemia.…”

How can technology support ageing in place in healthy older adults? A systematic review

“…When presented a new technology, research participants present high levels of engagement, but over time, the users start losing interest due to different aspects. This has been evidenced and studied by other studies that explore how to motivate users for long-term use of assistive technology [ 47 – 50 ]. This is an important point that requires further research and attention from the research community.…”

Clusters of Adolescent Physical Activity Tracker Patterns and Their Associations With Physical Activity Behaviors in Finland and Ireland: Cross-Sectional Study

“…This is the first time that PAT figures from Irish adolescents have been reported, and data suggest that adolescents reported a higher rate of ownership of apps (36.2%) when compared to an Irish 18-24-year-old cohort (20%) [ 50 ]. Based on these growth figures, it may be viable to design interventions using physical activity apps in Finland currently and in the near future, whereas in Ireland, more adoption is needed for natural experiments or trials to take place; otherwise, interventions would need to control the novelty effect of introducing a new wearable device [ 24 ].…”

“…Several trials have investigated the efficacy of PATs in increasing physical activity levels, and often, although an initial increase in the physical activity level is documented, these changes are not sustained in the long term [ 18 , 21 , 22 ] or could not be replicated with younger populations [ 23 ]. High attrition levels are particularly common for PATs, where the novelty effect wears off and so does the usage and effectiveness [ 24 ]. Designers of PATs could be partly responsible for this attrition, as the products made may not be sufficiently accurate enough to meet the demands of the end user [ 25 , 26 ] or the automated systems for providing reminders and feedback are deemed inadequate [ 27 ].…”