Feasible but Not Yet Efficacious: a Scoping Review of Wearable Activity Monitors in Interventions Targeting Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior, and Sleep

AbstractPurpose of ReviewThis review explored the characteristics of interventions that use wearable activity monitors (WAM) and descriptively summarize their efficacy.Recent FindingsA total of 61 studies were included. Most of the WAM-based interventions (n = 58) were designed to improve physical activity (PA). Interventions targeting sedentary behavior (SB) were much less common (n = 12), and even less frequent were WAM-based sleep interventions (n = 3). Most studies tested the feasibility of WAM-based interventions. WAM-based interventions exhibited preliminary efficacy in increasing PA and potential in decreasing sedentary time. More evidence are needed to determine the utility of WAM in improving sleep.SummaryThe efficacy of interventions using WAM to improve PA, SB, and/or sleep could not be conclusively determined. Major challenges with including WAM as part of interventions are reduced engagement with the devices over time, and the rapid changes in technology resulting in devices becoming obsolete soon after completion of an efficacy trial.
Source: Current Epidemiology Reports - Category: Epidemiology Source Type: research