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OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess patients interest in education content delivered through electronic modalities and identify trends in internet access and use among emergency department patients of various socioeconomic statuses. METHODS: A prospective, cross-sectional survey with 50 questions was completed by 241 English and Spanish-speaking patients in 2014 and repeated with 253 participants in 2019 at the University of California, Irvine Medical Centers Emergency Department (UCIMCED). RESULTS: Internet access increased from 83.8 % in 2014 to 88.1 % in 2019. Most internet-using patients owned smartphones (80.1 % in 2014, 89.7 % in 2019). Patients used electronic devices, such as fit bits and activity trackers, to obtain health information. Email was the preferred method for receiving discharge instructions. CONCLUSIONS: As of 2019, 88.1 % of UCIMCED patients have access to the internet or email, making electronic media a reasonable venue for patient education. Given that we have a predominantly low-income patient population-61 % and 32 % of respondents in 2014 and 2019, respectively, reporting an income of less than $25,000-these results are provide new avenues to reach patients of all socioeconomic statuses. INNOVATION: The implications of this study can be used to develop electronic resources tailored to educate emergency department patients about their healthcare beyond the confines of a hospital.

Presented as a six-course meal, this article addresses the ethics of innovations, interruptions, and intrusions in physical education (PE). The central ingredient in this meal is Michel Serres' character-concept of the parasite. We begin by interpreting debates about PE's purposes, futures, beneficiaries, and so on, as offering researchers and practitioners food-for-thought about the status quo in PE and its transformation. We then introduce the tastes and textures of the parasite and explore these flavours further using PE research on outsourcing and the use of healthy lifestyle technologies. In the main course, we propose a situated and symbiotic parasitic ethics grounded in hesitation and discuss what this set of sensitivities offers debates in PE about outsourcing and healthy lifestyle technology-use. Recognising there will never be a PE without parasites, we advocate an attunement to what it is to parasite well in PE and to the role of the parasite in the composition of any PE collective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wearable health technologies are designed to improve a user's self-awareness of their state of health and increase motivation and physical activity, but there is limited understanding of the psychological and behavioral impact these devices have. The present research attempts to further clarify the influence of individual characteristics on the cognitive, affective, and behavioral outcomes of activity tracker usage, including the development of dependency. A cross-sectional study of 212 college students who used activity trackers was conducted to evaluate the psychological and behavioral impact of activity tracker usage and users' affective response to their device. Participants expressed more positive affect while wearing their device as opposed to when they were unable to wear it. Female participants exhibited more positive affect than male participants while wearing their device but less when unable to wear it. Only 9% of the sample reported a dependency effect. The dependency effect was negatively associated with intrinsic motivation to be physically active, motivation by the idea of success, and the personality traits of agreeableness and conscientiousness. The dependency effect was positively associated with extrinsic motivation for physical activity and tracker usage, as well as need for cognitive closure. This research elucidates the unintended outcomes of activity tracker usage along with the individual characteristics that present as predictors of these outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physical activity (PA) is significantly associated with many health outcomes. The wide usage of wearable accelerometer-based activity trackers in recent years has provided a unique opportunity for in-depth research on PA and its relations with health outcomes and interventions. Past analysis of activity tracker data relies heavily on aggregating minute-level PA records into day-level summary statistics in which important information of PA temporal/diurnal patterns is lost. In this paper we propose a novel functional data analysis approach based on Riemann manifolds for modeling PA and its longitudinal changes. We model smoothed minute-level PA of a day as one-dimensional Riemann manifolds and longitudinal changes in PA in different visits as deformations between manifolds. The variability in changes of PA among a cohort of subjects is characterized via variability in the deformation. Functional principal component analysis is further adopted to model the deformations, and PC scores are used as a proxy in modeling the relation between changes in PA and health outcomes and/or interventions. We conduct comprehensive analyses on data from two clinical trials: Reach for Health (RfH) and Metabolism, Exercise and Nutrition at UCSD (MENU), focusing on the effect of interventions on longitudinal changes in PA patterns and how different modes of changes in PA influence weight loss, respectively. The proposed approach reveals unique modes of changes, including overall enhanced PA, boosted morning PA, and shifts of active hours specific to each study cohort. The results bring new insights into the study of longitudinal changes in PA and health and have the potential to facilitate designing of effective health interventions and guidelines.

Abstract Background Physical inactivity is considered one of the main modifiable risk factors for noncommunicable diseases. It has been proven that an active lifestyle is an efficient means of preventing and managing noncommunicable diseases. Multiple barriers have been identified that hinder engagement in conventional physical activity programs and the achievement of physical activity recommendations. Digital interventions may expand opportunities to resolve these barriers and empower people with noncommunicable diseases to be physically active. This overview of systematic reviews aims to evaluate the efficacy of digital interventions on physical activity promotion among individuals with major noncommunicable diseases. Method A protocol was registered in the PROSPERO database (CRD42022364350). A qualitative synthesis method was applied to summarize the efficacy data. The assessment of methodological quality using AMSTAR-2 for each systematic review was performed by two independent reviewers. Results Searches in nine databases resulted in seven systematic reviews for inclusion. Most of the primary studies included in these seven reviews were conducted in high-income countries. The reviews addressed five populations: participants with cancers, cardiovascular diseases, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, type 2 diabetes, and osteoarthritis. Digital interventions were classified into two categories: interventions based on digital activity trackers and remote interventions via digital facilities. Additional components were identified in both categories of interventions such as motivational content, counseling, goal setting, tailored feedback/reminders, and other behavioral change techniques. The overall quality of the reviews ranged from critically low to low. The findings provided some evidence that both categories of interventions were effective in promoting physical activity. Conclusion The findings of this overview suggest that some types of digital interventions, such as self-monitoring with digital activity trackers and remote interventions via digital facilities, may be effective means of promoting physical activity across major noncommunicable diseases. The findings should be interpreted cautiously since the methodological quality of the included reviews ranged from critically low to low, and there was no consistent assessment of the certainty of evidence. Further systematic reviews are required on efficacy of digital interventions with more rigorous conducting and reporting of systematic review methodologies.

Background: Physical inactivity is considered one of the main modifiable risk factors for noncommunicable diseases. It has been proven that an active lifestyle is an efficient means of preventing and managing noncommunicable diseases. Multiple barriers have been identified that hinder engagement in conventional physical activity programs and the achievement of physical activity recommendations. Digital interventions may expand opportunities to resolve these barriers and empower people with noncommunicable diseases to be physically active. This overview of systematic reviews aims to evaluate the efficacy of digital interventions on physical activity promotion among individuals with major noncommunicable diseases. Method: A protocol was registered in the PROSPERO database (CRD42022364350). A qualitative synthesis method was applied to summarize the efficacy data. The assessment of methodological quality using AMSTAR-2 for each systematic review was performed by two independent reviewers. Results: Searches in nine databases resulted in seven systematic reviews for inclusion. Most of the primary studies included in these seven reviews were conducted in high-income countries. The reviews addressed five populations: participants with cancers, cardiovascular diseases, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, type 2 diabetes, and osteoarthritis. Digital interventions were classified into two categories: interventions based on digital activity trackers and remote interventions via digital facilities. Additional components were identified in both categories of interventions such as motivational content, counseling, goal setting, tailored feedback/reminders, and other behavioral change techniques. The overall quality of the reviews ranged from critically low to low. The findings provided some evidence that both categories of interventions were effective in promoting physical activity. Conclusion: The findings of this overview suggest that some types of digital interventions, such as self-monitoring with digital activity trackers and remote interventions via digital facilities, may be effective means of promoting physical activity across major noncommunicable diseases. The findings should be interpreted cautiously since the methodological quality of the included reviews ranged from critically low to low, and there was no consistent assessment of the certainty of evidence. Further systematic reviews are required on efficacy of digital interventions with more rigorous conducting and reporting of systematic review methodologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to assess patients' interest in education content delivered through electronic modalities and identify trends in internet access and use among emergency department patients of various socioeconomic statuses. Methods: A prospective, cross-sectional survey with 50 questions was completed by 241 English and Spanish-speaking patients in 2014 and repeated with 253 participants in 2019 at the University of California, Irvine Medical Center's Emergency Department (UCIMCED). Results: Internet access increased from 83.8 % in 2014 to 88.1 % in 2019. Most internet-using patients owned smartphones (80.1 % in 2014, 89.7 % in 2019). Patients used electronic devices, such as fit bits and activity trackers, to obtain health information. Email was the preferred method for receiving discharge instructions. Conclusions: As of 2019, 88.1 % of UCIMCED patients have access to the internet or email, making electronic media a reasonable venue for patient education. Given that we have a predominantly low-income patient population—61 % and 32 % of respondents in 2014 and 2019, respectively, reporting an income of less than $25,000—these results are provide new avenues to reach patients of all socioeconomic statuses. Innovation: The implications of this study can be used to develop electronic resources tailored to educate emergency department patients about their healthcare beyond the confines of a hospital.

Background: The field of smart devices and physical activity is evolving rapidly, with a wide range of devices measuring a wide range of parameters. Scientific articles look at very different populations in terms of the impact of smart devices but do not take into account which characteristics of the devices are important for the group and which may influence the effectiveness of the device. In our study, we aimed to analyse articles about the impact of smart devices on physical activity and identify the characteristics of different target groups. Methods: Queries were run on two major databases (PubMed and Web of Science) between 2017 and 2024. Duplicates were filtered out, and according to a few main criteria, inappropriate studies were excluded so that 37 relevant articles were included in a more detailed analysis. Results: Four main target groups were identified: healthy individuals, people with chronic diseases, elderly people, and competitive athletes. We identified the essential attributes of smart devices by target groups. For the elderly, an easy-to-use application is needed. In the case of women, children, and elderly people, gamification can be used well, but for athletes, specific measurement tools and accuracy may have paramount importance. For most groups, regular text messages or notifications are important. Conclusions: The use of smart devices can have a positive impact on physical activity, but the context and target group must be taken into account to achieve effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Data loss in wearable sensors is an inevitable problem that leads to misrepresentation during diabetes health monitoring. We systematically investigated missing wearable sensors data to get causal insight into the mechanisms leading to missing data. Methods: Two-week-long data from a continuous glucose monitor and a Fitbit activity tracker recording heart rate (HR) and step count in free-living patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus were used. The gap size distribution was fitted with a Planck distribution to test for missing not at random (MNAR) and a difference between distributions was tested with a Chi-squared test. Significant missing data dispersion over time was tested with the Kruskal–Wallis test and Dunn post hoc analysis. Results: Data from 77 subjects resulted in 73 cleaned glucose, 70 HR and 68 step count recordings. The glucose gap sizes followed a Planck distribution. HR and step count gap frequency differed significantly (p < 0.001), and the missing data were therefore MNAR. In glucose, more missing data were found in the night (23:00–01:00), and in step count, more at measurement days 6 and 7 (p < 0.001). In both cases, missing data were caused by insufficient frequency of data synchronization. Conclusions: Our novel approach of investigating missing data statistics revealed the mechanisms for missing data in Fitbit and CGM data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Thyroid cancer (TC) patients are understudied but appear to be at risk for poor physical and psychosocial outcomes. Knowledge of the course and determinants of these deteriorated outcomes is lacking. Furthermore, little is known about mediating biological mechanisms. Objectives The WaTCh-study aims to; 1. Examine the course of physical and psychosocial outcomes. 2. Examine the association of demographic, environmental, clinical, physiological, and personality characteristics to those outcomes. In other words, who is at risk? 3. Reveal the association of mediating biological mechanisms (inflammation, kynurenine pathway) with poor physical and psychological outcomes. In other words, why is a person at risk? Design and methods Newly diagnosed TC patients from 13 Dutch hospitals will be invited. Data collection will take place before treatment, and at 6, 12 and 24 months after diagnosis. Sociodemographic and clinical information is available from the Netherlands Cancer Registry. Patients fill-out validated questionnaires at each time-point to assess quality of life, TC-specific symptoms, physical activity, anxiety, depression, health care use, and employment. Patients are asked to donate blood three times to assess inflammation and kynurenine pathway. Optionally, at each occasion, patients can use a weighing scale with bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) system to assess body composition; can register food intake using an online food diary; and can wear an activity tracker to assess physical activity and sleep duration/quality. Representative Dutch normative data on the studied physical and psychosocial outcomes is already available. Impact WaTCh will reveal the course of physical and psychosocial outcomes among TC patients over time and answers the question who is at risk for poor outcomes, and why. This knowledge can be used to provide personalized information, to improve screening, to develop and provide tailored treatment strategies and supportive care, to optimize outcomes, and ultimately increase the number of TC survivors that live in good health.

Background: The field of smart devices and physical activity is evolving rapidly, with a wide range of devices measuring a wide range of parameters. Scientific articles look at very different populations in terms of the impact of smart devices but do not take into account which characteristics of the devices are important for the group and which may influence the effectiveness of the device. In our study, we aimed to analyse articles about the impact of smart devices on physical activity and identify the characteristics of different target groups. Methods: Queries were run on two major databases (PubMed and Web of Science) between 2017 and 2024. Duplicates were filtered out, and according to a few main criteria, inappropriate studies were excluded so that 37 relevant articles were included in a more detailed analysis. Results: Four main target groups were identified: healthy individuals, people with chronic diseases, elderly people, and competitive athletes. We identified the essential attributes of smart devices by target groups. For the elderly, an easy-to-use application is needed. In the case of women, children, and elderly people, gamification can be used well, but for athletes, specific measurement tools and accuracy may have paramount importance. For most groups, regular text messages or notifications are important. Conclusions: The use of smart devices can have a positive impact on physical activity, but the context and target group must be taken into account to achieve effectiveness.

Many existing sedentary behavior and physical activity studies focus on primary outcomes that assess change by comparing participants' activity from baseline to post-intervention. With the widespread availability of consumer-grade devices that track activity daily, researchers do not need to rely on those endpoint measurements alone. Using activity trackers, researchers can collect remote data about the process of behavior change and future maintenance of the change by measuring participants’ intra-individual physical activity variability. Measuring intra-individual physical activity variability can enable researchers to create tailored and dynamic interventions that account for different physical activity behavior change trajectories, and by that, improve participants' program adherence, enhance intervention design and management, and advance interventions measurements' reliability. We propose an application of intra-individual physical activity variability as a measurement and provide three use cases within interventions. Intra-individual physical activity variability can be used: prior to the intervention period, where relationships between participants' intra-individual physical activity variability and individual characteristics can be used to predict adherence and subsequently tailor interventions; during the intervention period, to assess progress and subsequently boost interventions; and after the intervention, to obtain a reliable representation of the change in primary outcome.

Background: Thyroid cancer (TC) patients are understudied but appear to be at risk for poor physical and psychosocial outcomes. Knowledge of the course and determinants of these deteriorated outcomes is lacking. Furthermore, little is known about mediating biological mechanisms. Objectives: The WaTCh-study aims to; Examine the course of physical and psychosocial outcomes. Examine the association of demographic, environmental, clinical, physiological, and personality characteristics to those outcomes. In other words, who is at risk? Reveal the association of mediating biological mechanisms (inflammation, kynurenine pathway) with poor physical and psychological outcomes. In other words, why is a person at risk? Design and methods: Newly diagnosed TC patients from 13 Dutch hospitals will be invited. Data collection will take place before treatment, and at 6, 12 and 24 months after diagnosis. Sociodemographic and clinical information is available from the Netherlands Cancer Registry. Patients fill-out validated questionnaires at each time-point to assess quality of life, TC-specific symptoms, physical activity, anxiety, depression, health care use, and employment. Patients are asked to donate blood three times to assess inflammation and kynurenine pathway. Optionally, at each occasion, patients can use a weighing scale with bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) system to assess body composition; can register food intake using an online food diary; and can wear an activity tracker to assess physical activity and sleep duration/quality. Representative Dutch normative data on the studied physical and psychosocial outcomes is already available. Impact: WaTCh will reveal the course of physical and psychosocial outcomes among TC patients over time and answers the question who is at risk for poor outcomes, and why. This knowledge can be used to provide personalized information, to improve screening, to develop and provide tailored treatment strategies and supportive care, to optimize outcomes, and ultimately increase the number of TC survivors that live in good health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-exercise physical activity (NEPA), also called unstructured or informal physical activity, refers to those daily activities that require movement of the human body without planning or strict control of the physical effort made. Due to new technologies and motorized transportation devices, the general population has significantly decreased its NEPA. This increase in sedentary lifestyles, physical inactivity, and excessive energy intake is considered a risk factor for obesity, non-communicable diseases (NCDs), and all-cause mortality. Searching in PubMed/MEDLINE and Web of Science databases, a narrative review of NEPA was carried out to address its conceptualization, promotion strategies for the general population, and monitoring through wearable devices. It is strongly recommended that governmental entities, health practitioners, and the construction industry adhere to "The Global Action Plan on Physical Activity 2018–2030: More Active People for a Healthier World" and implement different salutogenic urban strategies. These strategies aim to generate environments that motivate increases in NEPA, such as cycling and walking transportation (between 5000–12,500 steps per day), and the progression to physical exercise. There is a wide variety of electronic devices for personal use, such as accelerometers, smartphone apps, or "smart clothes", that allow for the monitoring of NEPA, some with a wide range of analysis variables contributing to the estimation of total daily energy expenditure and the promotion of healthy habits. In general, the further promotion and monitoring of NEPA is required as part of a strategy to promote healthy habits sustainable over time for the prevention and control of obesity and NCDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Preliminary evidence suggests that web-based physical activity interventions with tailored advice and Fitbit integration are effective and may be well suited to older adults. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the engagement, acceptability, usability, and satisfaction with ‘Active for Life,’ a web-based physical activity intervention providing computer-tailored physical activity advice to older adults. Methods Inactive older adults (n = 243) were randomly assigned into 3 groups: 1) tailoring + Fitbit, 2) tailoring only, or 3) a wait-list control. The tailoring + Fitbit group and the tailoring-only group received 6 modules of computer-tailored physical activity advice over 12 weeks. The advice was informed by objective Fitbit data in the tailoring + Fitbit group and self-reported physical activity in the tailoring-only group. This study examined the engagement, acceptability, usability, and satisfaction of Active for Life in intervention participants (tailoring + Fitbit n = 78, tailoring only n = 96). Wait-list participants were not included. Engagement (Module completion, time on site) were objectively recorded through the intervention website. Acceptability (7-point Likert scale), usability (System Usability Scale), and satisfaction (open-ended questions) were assessed using an online survey at post intervention. ANOVA and Chi square analyses were conducted to compare outcomes between intervention groups and content analysis was used to analyse program satisfaction. Results At post-intervention (week 12), study attrition was 28% (22/78) in the Fitbit + tailoring group and 39% (37/96) in the tailoring-only group. Engagement and acceptability were good in both groups, however there were no group differences (module completions: tailoring + Fitbit: 4.72 ± 2.04, Tailoring-only: 4.23 ± 2.25 out of 6 modules, p = .14, time on site: tailoring + Fitbit: 103.46 ± 70.63, Tailoring-only: 96.90 ± 76.37 min in total, p = .56, and acceptability of the advice: tailoring + Fitbit: 5.62 ± 0.89, Tailoring-only: 5.75 ± 0.75 out of 7, p = .41). Intervention usability was modest but significantly higher in the tailoring + Fitbit group (tailoring + Fitbit: 64.55 ± 13.59, Tailoring-only: 57.04 ± 2.58 out of 100, p = .003). Participants reported that Active for Life helped motivate them, held them accountable, improved their awareness of how active they were and helped them to become more active. Conversely, many participants felt as though they would prefer personal contact, more detailed tailoring and more survey response options. Conclusions This study supports web-based physical activity interventions with computer-tailored advice and Fitbit integration as engaging and acceptable in older adults. Trial registration Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry: ACTRN12618000646246. Registered April 23 2018, https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=374901

Means of steps/day and time spent in MVPA/day for ActiGraph and Garmin devices and ActiGraph and Fitbit devices are presented in Table 1. Keywords: accelerometers; activity trackers; physical activity; wearables; young people with haemophilia EN accelerometers activity trackers physical activity wearables young people with haemophilia 942 945 4 05/19/23 20230501 NES 230501 Dear Editor The health benefits of physical activity (PA) are well documented including contributing to the prevention of certain non-communicable diseases. 1 TABLE Mean and standard deviation for steps and MVPA minutes for Garmin and ActiGraph devices and Fitbit and ActiGraph devices. [Extracted from the article]

Wearable technologies are increasing both in number and variety enabling new ways for collecting personal data, as well as novel interaction modalities. Even though the Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) community has widely explored the potential applications of wearables, its theoretical contribution on this research field has been far from impressive. Most scholars and designers seem to rely on a series of dominant assumptions that look at wearables "from the outside" by focusing on their "external properties." When these assumptions are fully embraced at design-time, however, they may cloud opportunities for designing for the "internal aspects" of our everyday experience. In this article, I propose a theory that looks at wearables "from the inside,"giving a theoretical backdrop to all those wearable designs that pay attention to the internal aspects of interaction. By adopting a postphenomenological approach, I conceptualize wearable devices as "extensions" of our intentionality and introduce the "extension relation" to explain how wearables may alter how we relate to the world. In doing so, I propose a series of design considerations that aim to trace future research lines for all those wearables that are currently designed from an "externalistic" perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundMany individuals with intellectual disability (ID) have a sedentary lifestyle. Few interventions aimed at increasing their level of physical activity (PA) have shown lasting effects.AimTo assess the feasibility and acceptability of a pilot intervention study using innovative mobile health (mHealth) support systems to encourage PA in individuals with ID.MethodsNine individuals with ID and a low level of PA, aged 16–36 years, were included in the present convergent triangulation mixed method design. Two mHealth support systems (apps) were developed and tested. PA was measured with a Fitbit smartwatch, accelerometer, the International Physical Activity Questionnaire—Short Form (IPAQ-S), and Goal attainment scaling. Data were collected through online pre-, mid- (4 weeks), and post-intervention (12 weeks) questionnaires and activity trackers. Semi-structured qualitative interviews with participants and/or a family or staff member were held after the 12-week follow-up. Data were analyzed using conventional nonparametric statistics and thematic analyses.ResultsThe response rate and retention to the trial were 16% and 100%, respectively. Data quality was high, except for missing data from Fitbit activity trackers of approximately 30% from the 4- and 12-week follow-up stages. The feasibility challenges with activity trackers include rashes, size, non-acceptance, and loss of motivation. Participants and family members/staff reported interest in the study theme and were pleased with the data collection method. All but one participant achieved their PA goals. Most participants reported being satisfied with the apps as they were enjoyable or provided a reminder for performing physical and other activities. Social support for PA among family members also increased. However, app support from staff and family members was needed, and apps were not used regularly. Two of nine participants (22%) had increased their PA measured as steps per day with Fitbit at the 12-week follow-up.ConclusionsThe acceptability and feasibility of using tailored mobile applications in natural settings to increase PA among adults with ID are promising. This study aligns with previous studies in showing the challenges to increasing PA, which requires the inclusion of family members, staff, and stakeholders. The intervention requires modifications before a randomized controlled trial can be conducted.

Purpose: Activity trackers are useful tools for physical activity promotion in adolescents, but robust validity evaluations have not been done under free-living conditions. This study evaluated the validity of the Garmin Vívofit 1 (G1) and Garmin Vívofit 3 (G3) in different settings and contexts. Methods: The participants (girls: 52%, age: 15.9 [1.9] y) wore the G1 and G3 on their nondominant wrist and the Yamax pedometer on their right hip for a period of 1 week. Validity was examined in 4 discrete segments (before school, in school, after school, and whole day). The criterion method was the Yamax pedometer. Results: Both the G1 and G3 could be considered equivalent to the Yamax pedometer regarding the before school, in school, and whole day segments. The G1 showed wider limits of agreement than G3. Conclusions: The G1 and G3 trackers exhibited acceptable validity for 3 of the 4 segments (before school, in school, and whole day measurements). The results were less accurate during the after-school segment. The evidence that the validity of the monitors varied depending on the setting and context is an important consideration for research on adolescent activity patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundModerate-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) offers extensive health benefits but is neglected by many. As a result, a wide body of research investigating physical activity behavior change has been conducted. As many of these studies transition from paper-based methods of MVPA data collection to fitness trackers, a series of challenges arise in extracting insights from these new data.ObjectiveThe objective of this research was to develop a framework for preprocessing and extracting MVPA trends from wearable fitness tracker data to support MVPA behavior change studies.MethodsUsing heart rate data collected from fitness trackers, we propose Physical Activity Trend eXtraction (PATX), a framework that imputes missing data, recalculates personalized target heart zones, and extracts MVPA trends. We tested our framework on a dataset of 123 college study participants observed across 2 academic years (18 months) using Fitbit Charge HRs. To demonstrate the value of our frameworks' output in supporting MVPA behavior change studies, we applied it to 2 case studies.ResultsAmong the 123 participants analyzed, PATX labeled 41 participants as experiencing a significant increase in MVPA and 44 participants who experienced a significant decrease in MVPA, with significance defined as P

Background: In radiotherapy the timely identification of patients needing intervention and supportive care due to side effects is an important task especially in the outpatient setting. Activity trackers as an increasingly used lifestyle device may enable physicians to monitor patient’s physical activity (PA) and to intervene early during the course of radiotherapy. Objective: The primary aim of this trial was to assess patient acceptance of PA monitoring in an outpatient setting and to correlate changes in PA with toxicity and changes in quality of life. Methods: Patients undergoing radio(chemo-)therapy with a curative intent were eligible to participate in this prospective pilot phase II trial. Patients were instructed to wear a commercially available activity tracker during the course of radiotherapy and four weeks afterwards. Quality of life (QoL) and fatigue was scored using the Functional assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy questionnaire. A linear regression was performed to determine baseline activity and changes in step counts during radiotherapy. Results: We included 23 patients in this trial. Two withdrew consent before the start of treatment, two patients were excluded after prophylactic feeding tube placement and prolonged recovery. Compliance in the remaining 19 patients was high, with availability of step-counts on 92% of the days. Baseline step counts were 6274 for breast cancer patients and 3621 for patients with other entities. Decreasing activity during radiotherapy coincided with the development of side effects and declines in quality of life. Conclusions: Activity trackers as tool to monitor PA during and after radiotherapy were accepted by a majority of the patients included in the current trial. Observed changes in PA correlated with patient reported side effects and QoL in some of the patients.

The article focuses on the challenges and opportunities associated with integrating wearable activity trackers (WATs) into cardiovascular care, including the need for better understanding of WATs' acceptability and the concept of care ecosystems emphasizing complexity and stewardship.

Background: Preliminary evidence suggests that web-based physical activity interventions with tailored advice and Fitbit integration are effective and may be well suited to older adults. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the engagement, acceptability, usability, and satisfaction with ‘Active for Life,’ a web-based physical activity intervention providing computer-tailored physical activity advice to older adults. Methods: Inactive older adults (n = 243) were randomly assigned into 3 groups: 1) tailoring + Fitbit, 2) tailoring only, or 3) a wait-list control. The tailoring + Fitbit group and the tailoring-only group received 6 modules of computer-tailored physical activity advice over 12 weeks. The advice was informed by objective Fitbit data in the tailoring + Fitbit group and self-reported physical activity in the tailoring-only group. This study examined the engagement, acceptability, usability, and satisfaction of Active for Life in intervention participants (tailoring + Fitbit n = 78, tailoring only n = 96). Wait-list participants were not included. Engagement (Module completion, time on site) were objectively recorded through the intervention website. Acceptability (7-point Likert scale), usability (System Usability Scale), and satisfaction (open-ended questions) were assessed using an online survey at post intervention. ANOVA and Chi square analyses were conducted to compare outcomes between intervention groups and content analysis was used to analyse program satisfaction. Results: At post-intervention (week 12), study attrition was 28% (22/78) in the Fitbit + tailoring group and 39% (37/96) in the tailoring-only group. Engagement and acceptability were good in both groups, however there were no group differences (module completions: tailoring + Fitbit: 4.72 ± 2.04, Tailoring-only: 4.23 ± 2.25 out of 6 modules, p =.14, time on site: tailoring + Fitbit: 103.46 ± 70.63, Tailoring-only: 96.90 ± 76.37 min in total, p =.56, and acceptability of the advice: tailoring + Fitbit: 5.62 ± 0.89, Tailoring-only: 5.75 ± 0.75 out of 7, p =.41). Intervention usability was modest but significantly higher in the tailoring + Fitbit group (tailoring + Fitbit: 64.55 ± 13.59, Tailoring-only: 57.04 ± 2.58 out of 100, p =.003). Participants reported that Active for Life helped motivate them, held them accountable, improved their awareness of how active they were and helped them to become more active. Conversely, many participants felt as though they would prefer personal contact, more detailed tailoring and more survey response options. Conclusions: This study supports web-based physical activity interventions with computer-tailored advice and Fitbit integration as engaging and acceptable in older adults. Trial registration: Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry: ACTRN12618000646246. Registered April 23 2018, [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New digital technologies like activity trackers, nudge concepts, and approaches can inspire and improve personal health. There is increasing interest in employing such devices to monitor people's health and well-being. These devices can continually gather and examine health-related information from people and groups in their familiar surroundings. Context-aware nudges can assist people in self-managing and enhancing their health. In this protocol paper, we describe how we plan to investigate what motivates people to engage in physical activity (PA), what influences them to accept nudges, and how participant motivation for PA may be impacted by technology use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The 6 min walk test is widely used to measure the severity of COPD, but this test imposes an extensive burden on patients and medical staff. As an alternative to this test, the measurement of activity amount during daily activities that cause COPD patients to feel shortness of breath can be acquired using wearable devices, and the measurements between COPD patients and healthy people can be compared. Accordingly, based on machine learning, we first evaluated the accuracy of the accelerometers in recognizing such activities. Methods: Forty-six healthy participants wore tri-axial accelerometers on the wrist and hip, and performed nine activities: changing clothes, sitting, standing, lying in a supine position, brushing teeth, moving luggage, going up/down the stairs, running, and walking. Features were extracted from 10 s windows of 31 datasets and input into a machine-learning classifier model. Results: The wrist+hip classifier recognized the activities of changing clothes, standing, lying in a supine position, brushing teeth, moving luggage, going up/down the stairs, walking, and running. Sitting and other movements were not appropriately recognized. Conclusions: Sedentary movements such as sitting were difficult to recognize. However, changing clothes, standing, lying in a supine position, brushing teeth, moving luggage, going up/down the stairs, walking, and running were recognizable. These recognized activities tend to cause shortness of breath in COPD patients. Thus, the findings confirm the feasibility of an algorithm that could determine the severity of COPD by comparing activity amount for each of these activities with those of the healthy people of the same age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite rapid growth in the popularity of smartwatches, evidence lacks regarding older adults' acceptance of smartwatches. Since most wearable sensors are not designed specifically for older adults, there is a need to examine wearability and usability challenges of wearable sensing devices faced by older adults to facilitate the use of objective measurements of health and mobility. Objectives: We aimed to examine older adults' perceptions of GPS‐enabled smartwatches and to identify potential barriers and facilitators of smartwatch and sensor data use. Methods: As part of a larger feasibility study, we conducted a mixed‐methods study that included a descriptive content analysis of interviews and a brief usability survey with 30 participants aged 60 years and older after they had used a smartwatch for 3 days. Results: Most participants perceived wearable activity trackers including smartwatches and sensor‐based data as useful for tracking health, finding activity patterns and promoting healthy behaviours. Privacy was of little concern, leading to willingness to share activity and location data with others. Participants identified barriers to usability as clumsy design, lack of aesthetic appeal, and difficulty reading the display and using the GPS tracking function. In contrast, identified facilitators of adoption included a big display, high‐tech look, self‐awareness and possible behaviour change. Conclusions: Smartwatches have the potential of personalised detection of health deterioration and disability prevention, based on analysis of older adults' activities in free‐living environments. The usefulness of this technology for older adults can be significantly increased by addressing usability issues and providing instructions on challenging features. Implications for Practice: To support sustained self‐monitoring behaviours through wearable sensor devices in older adults, it is critical to examine how they perceive those devices and identify factors affecting technology acceptance that can maximise adoption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Given the popularity of thigh-worn accelerometers, it is important to understand their reliability and validity. Purpose: Our study evaluated laboratory validity and free-living intermonitor reliability of the Fibion monitor and free-living intermonitor reliability of the activPAL monitor. Free-living comparability of the Fibion and activPAL monitors was also assessed. Methods: Nineteen adult participants wore Fibion monitors on both thighs while performing 11 activities in a laboratory setting. Then, participants wore Fibion and activPAL monitors on both thighs for 3 days during waking hours. Accuracy of the Fibion monitor was determined for recognizing lying/sitting, standing, slow walking, fast walking, jogging, and cycling. For the 3-day free-living wear, outputs from the Fibion monitors were compared, with similar analyses conducted for the activPAL monitors. Finally, free-living comparability of the Fibion and activPAL monitors was determined for nonwear, sitting, standing, stepping, and cycling. Results: The Fibion monitor had an overall accuracy of 85%–89%, with high accuracy (94%–100%) for detecting prone and supine lying, sitting, and standing but some misclassification among ambulatory activities and for left-/right-side lying with standing. Intermonitor reliability was similar for the Fibion and activPAL monitors, with best reliability for sitting but poorer reliability for activities performed least often (e.g., cycling). The Fibion and activPAL monitors were not equivalent for most tested metrics. Conclusion: The Fibion monitor appears suitable for assessment of sedentary and nonsedentary waking postures, and the Fibion and activPAL monitors have comparable intermonitor reliability. However, studies using thigh-worn monitors should use the same monitor brand worn on the same leg to optimize reliability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Breast cancer (BC) has particular characteristics in young women, with diagnosis at more advanced stages, a poorer prognosis and highly aggressive tumors. In NeoFit, we will use an activity tracker to identify and describe various digital profiles (heart rate, physical activity, and sleep patterns) in women below the age of 45 years on neoadjuvant chemotherapy for BC. Methods NeoFit is a prospective, national, multicenter, single-arm open-label study. It will include 300 women below the age of 45 years treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy for BC. Participants will be asked to wear a Withing Steel HR activity tracker round the clock for 12 months. The principal assessments will be performed at baseline, at the end of neoadjuvant chemotherapy and at 12 months. We will evaluate clinical parameters, such as toxicity and the efficacy of chemotherapy, together with quality of life, fatigue, and parameters relating to lifestyle and physical activity. The women will complete REDCap form questionnaires via a secure internet link. Discussion In this study, the use of an activity tracker will enable us to visualize changes in the lifestyle of young women on neoadjuvant chemotherapy for BC, over the course of a one-year period. This exploratory study will provide crucial insight into the digital phenotypes of young BC patients on neoadjuvant chemotherapy and the relationship between these phenotypes and the toxicity and efficacy of treatment. This trial will pave the way for interventional studies involving sleep and physical activity interventions. Trial registration Clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT05011721 . Registration date: 18/08/2021.

Background: The 6 min walk test is widely used to measure the severity of COPD, but this test imposes an extensive burden on patients and medical staff. As an alternative to this test, the measurement of activity amount during daily activities that cause COPD patients to feel shortness of breath can be acquired using wearable devices, and the measurements between COPD patients and healthy people can be compared. Accordingly, based on machine learning, we first evaluated the accuracy of the accelerometers in recognizing such activities. Methods: Forty-six healthy participants wore tri-axial accelerometers on the wrist and hip, and performed nine activities: changing clothes, sitting, standing, lying in a supine position, brushing teeth, moving luggage, going up/down the stairs, running, and walking. Features were extracted from 10 s windows of 31 datasets and input into a machine-learning classifier model. Results: The wrist+hip classifier recognized the activities of changing clothes, standing, lying in a supine position, brushing teeth, moving luggage, going up/down the stairs, walking, and running. Sitting and other movements were not appropriately recognized. Conclusions: Sedentary movements such as sitting were difficult to recognize. However, changing clothes, standing, lying in a supine position, brushing teeth, moving luggage, going up/down the stairs, walking, and running were recognizable. These recognized activities tend to cause shortness of breath in COPD patients. Thus, the findings confirm the feasibility of an algorithm that could determine the severity of COPD by comparing activity amount for each of these activities with those of the healthy people of the same age.

Apply It!: By reading this article, fitness professionals who work with novice exercisers with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) will be able to: • individualize recommendations for activity timing, reducing sedentary time, and modes of exercise to maximize blood sugar control for clients with T2DM; • summarize the benefits and limitations of step tracking on blood sugar control for individuals with T2DM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the impact of a wearable activity tracker used to encourage physical activity, on disease flares in patients with spondyloarthritis (SpA).Methods: This randomized controlled trial involved randomizing 108 patients with SpA into tracker and nontracker groups. The participants were then subjected to assessments of disease activity, performance (6-minute walk test), and quality of life (QOL; 36-item Short Form Health Survey) at the 12th, 24th, and 36th week. The primary outcome was the change in the frequency of flare episodes (categorized as no flare, flare in ≤ 3 days, and flare in > 3 days) between baseline and 12 weeks.Results: The results of the study showed that at the 12th week, the mean change (∆) of the number of flares improved in both groups: -0.32 (95% CI -0.66 to 0.02) and -0.38 (95% CI -0.68 to -0.09) in the tracker and nontracker group, respectively. However, the between-group differences were insignificant (P = 0.87). Performance scores improved in both groups at the 12th, 24th, and 36th week (all P < 0.01). The different dimensions of QOL also improved at the 12th week (P < 0.01). Conversely, moderate flares (P < 0.01) and performance (P < 0.01) improved over time; however, the influence over time of a wearable activity tracker was not significant (P = 0.29 and P = 0.66, respectively).Conclusion: The use of a wearable activity tracker did not affect the number of flares, performance, or QOL of patients with SpA. Nevertheless, this study confirmed the benefits of physical activity on flares, disease activity, QOL, and physical performance in patients with SpA. (Move Your Spondyl "Better Live Its Rheumatism With the Physical Activity"; ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03458026). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consumer activity devices use prompts to alter sedentary and physical activity (PA) behaviors. However, it is unclear if PA prompts are effective. Purpose: To evaluate the effectiveness of PA prompts from a consumer wearable device in reducing sitting time and increasing PA in university employees. Methods: Thirty-three university employees without a history of consumer activity device wear were randomly assigned a Fitbit Alta HR that administered PA prompts (Prompt group) or had the prompt feature deactivated (No Prompt group). Participants wore an activPAL for 5–7 days to measure baseline sitting time and PA behaviors. Participants then wore the Fitbit for 12 days during waking hours and an activPAL during the last 5–7 days of the Fitbit wear period. Changes in activPAL sitting time and PA were compared across groups. Mean Fitbit steps taken in the first 50 min and the last 10 min of each hour were calculated and compared across groups during "Inactive" hours (<250 steps in the first 50 min), where a prompt was given (Prompt group) or would have been given (No Prompt group). Results: Mean activPAL sitting time increased in the Prompt group (0.66 ± 1.70 hr/day) and remained stable in the No Prompt group (−0.04 ± 1.29 hr/day), with no statistically significant differences between groups (d = 0.33, p =.36). Moderate to vigorous PA increased modestly in both groups, but no significant differences were observed. Fitbit steps during the last 10 min of inactive hours did not differ across groups. Conclusion: Fitbit PA prompts did not alter sitting time or PA behaviors in university employees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this scoping review was to examine publications using accelerometers in children aged 6 months to <6 years and report on current methodologies used for data collection and analyses. We examined device make and model, device placement, sampling frequency, data collection protocol, definition of nonwear time, inclusion criteria, epoch duration, and cut points. Five online databases and three gray literature databases were searched. Studies were included if they were published in English between January 2009 and March 2021. A total of 627 articles were included for descriptive analyses. Of the reviewed articles, 75% used ActiGraph devices. The most common device placement was hip or waist. More than 80% of articles did not report a sampling frequency, and 7-day protocols during only waking hours were the most frequently reported. Fifteen-second epoch durations and the cut points developed by Pate et al. in 2006 were the most common. A total of 203 articles did not report which definition of nonwear time was used; when reported, "20 minutes of consecutive zeros" was the most frequently used. Finally, the most common inclusion criteria were "greater or equal to 10 hr/day for at least 3 days" for studies conducted in free-living environments and "greater than 50% of the school day" for studies conducted in preschool or childcare environments. Results demonstrated a major lack of reporting of methods used to analyze accelerometer data from young children. A list of recommended reporting practices was developed to encourage increased reporting of key methodological details for research in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Individuals in Uganda's urban slums have unmet mental health needs due to limited healthcare infrastructure, poor environmental conditions, and extreme poverty. Researchers often use wearable devices to measure factors associated with mental health including sleep, physical activity, and exposure to environmental stressors. However, the use of wearables for research purposes in low-resource settings is limited. This pilot study investigated the feasibility and acceptability of wearables and accompanying daily diaries to assess sleep and other health indicators in young women living in Kampala's slums., Methods: Women ( n  = 60 total, two groups) aged 18-24 living in three urban slums participated in 5-day pilot protocols comprised of wearing Garmin vívoactive 3 smartwatches and completing daily diaries concerning sleep and physical activities. Participants completed surveys about their experiences. We based analyses on survey findings and data completeness., Results: All participants responded to daily diaries. All but one reported wearing the device nonstop and 51 had recoverable heart rate data with median data coverage of 93.2%. Most devices (87.5%) recorded data for 5 days without running out of battery. Some participants (8.5%) found the wearable uncomfortable during the day, and 25% found it uncomfortable at night. Few participants (6.7%) reported feeling unsafe with the wearable, with most reports occurring prior to the availability of bracelet-like wearable covers., Conclusions: Study protocols implementing wearables and complimentary daily diaries are feasible in this urban population. However, important contextual factors including participant and researcher training and safety concerns warrant additional considerations for acceptable utilization of wearable devices for research in other low-resource settings., (© The Author(s) 2024.)

Context: Little is understood about community-based standing device use and the impact of standing on health outcomes (e.g. pressure injury) in those living with spinal cord injury (SCI). This project reports on the accuracy of a commercially available data logger for measuring standing time and seat angle., Methods: A standing frame and a standing manual wheelchair were each instrumented with a commercially available data logger and each was tested by an non-disabled participant. Standing time in the standing frame was calculated from the data logger and compared to a user-recorded standing log over a two-month period in a laboratory environment. The standing wheelchair's seat angle was calculated using motion capture and compared to the calculated seat angle from the data logger. Average seat interface pressures were also captured during the testing of the standing wheelchair., Results: The data logger demonstrated high accuracy (99.99999%) in classifying sitting and standing in the standing frame when compared to a user-recorded standing log. The wheelchair seat angle calculated from the data logger demonstrated a high level of agreement with the motion lab calculations of seat angle (ICC = 0.96 (0.95, 0.97)). The data logger seat angle results also demonstrated strong relationships to average seat pressure and rear dispersion index, measures relevant to pressure injuries., Conclusions: The data logger appears to be an appropriate tool for determining standing time and seat angle in standing devices, which may aid clinicians and researchers to better understand the use and impact of standing technologies on health outcomes.

Objective: This study aimed to assess patients' interest in education content delivered through electronic modalities and identify trends in internet access and use among emergency department patients of various socioeconomic statuses., Methods: A prospective, cross-sectional survey with 50 questions was completed by 241 English and Spanish-speaking patients in 2014 and repeated with 253 participants in 2019 at the University of California, Irvine Medical Center's Emergency Department (UCIMCED)., Results: Internet access increased from 83.8 % in 2014 to 88.1 % in 2019. Most internet-using patients owned smartphones (80.1 % in 2014, 89.7 % in 2019). Patients used electronic devices, such as fit bits and activity trackers, to obtain health information. Email was the preferred method for receiving discharge instructions., Conclusions: As of 2019, 88.1 % of UCIMCED patients have access to the internet or email, making electronic media a reasonable venue for patient education. Given that we have a predominantly low-income patient population-61 % and 32 % of respondents in 2014 and 2019, respectively, reporting an income of less than $25,000-these results are provide new avenues to reach patients of all socioeconomic statuses., Innovation: The implications of this study can be used to develop electronic resources tailored to educate emergency department patients about their healthcare beyond the confines of a hospital., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Nowadays, there is growing interest in establishing daily activity wristband-based physical activity recommendations. Unfortunately, empirical studies examining the activity wristband-measured physical activity thresholds related to the daily physical activity recommendation in adolescents were not found. The main aim of the present study was to establish daily activity wristband-measured steps thresholds related to the recommendation of 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity daily in adolescents. The secondary aims of this study were twofold: (a) to establish daily activity wristband-measured total physical activity and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity thresholds; and (b) to examine the cross-validity of daily activity wristband-measured steps thresholds established in previous studies associated with the recommended 60 minutes per day of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity in adolescents. Following a cross-sectional design, 85 Spanish adolescents (including 56 females; aged 12–18 years old) from a public high school wore an ActiGraph GT3X+ accelerometer and four activity wristbands (Xiaomi Mi Band 2, Fitbit Alta HR, Polar A360 and Garmin Vivofit 4; non-dominant hand; index tests) for a day. A total of 38.8% of the adolescents met the moderate-to-vigorous physical activity recommendation. The results showed that the validity of the daily total step-based thresholds tended to be higher (e.g., AUC = 0.83–0.91, P < 0.001) than those with total physical activity or moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (AUC = 0.66–0.88, P < 0.01). The results of the cross-validity showed that the 10,000 step-per-day threshold had a high agreement (e.g., Xiaomi, P = 0.80; k = 0.58; Garmin, P = 0.82; k = 0.63). Activity wristband-measured total steps thresholds have a high validity for translating the daily moderate-to-vigorous physical activity recommendation, being more preferable than those with total physical activity or moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. A 10,000 step-per-day target seems to be a practical and adequate activity wristband-based threshold among adolescents. This knowledge may help policy makers to provide adequate daily activity wristband-measured step-based recommendations for adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Inertial-based trackers have become a common tool in data capture for ambulatory studies that aim at characterizing physical activity. Many systems that perform remote recording of accelerometer data use commercial trackers and black-box aggregation algorithms, often resulting in data that are locked into proprietary formats and metrics that make later replication or comparison difficult. Methods: The primary purpose of this manuscript is to validate an open-source ambulatory assessment system that consists of hardware devices, algorithms, and software components of our approach. We report on two validation experiments, one lab-based treadmill study on a convenience sample of 16 volunteers and one 'in vivo' study with 28 volunteers suffering from diabetes or cardiovascular disease. Results: A comparison between data from ActiGraph GT9X trackers and our proposed system reveals that the original inertial sensor signals at the wrist strongly correlate (Pearson correlation coefficients for raw inertial sensor signals of 0.97 in the controlled treadmill-walking setting) and that estimated steps from an open-source wrist-based detection approach correlate with the hip-worn ActiGraph output (average Pearson correlation coefficients of 0.81 for minute-wise comparisons of detected steps) in day-long ambulatory data. Conclusion: Recording inertial sensor data in a standardized form and relying on open-source algorithms on these data form a promising methodology that ensures that datasets can be replicated or enriched long after the wearable trackers have been decommissioned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technology and its influence upon society have turned into a controversial topic in today’s fast-developing world, where advances in innovation are continuous, fast, and complex. The relationship between technology and society has become an increasing interest for many researchers, trying to explore and clarify this connection. This article focuses on the psychological impact of technology, expressed through activity tracking devices, upon user’s attitudes towards pursuing an active lifestyle. To conduct the analysis, users’ registered behavioral changes after engaging with technological devices are explored, by examining academic literature reports studies, supplemented by experimental material written by the users themselves on publicly available websites. The study proposes a deductive research design, by constructing its analysis on a relevant theoretical framework, that of Technological Determinism theory, which advocates that technology can influence society, however without being affected by humans. Nevertheless, the results of the research show that the relationship between technology and society is not that linear, as influences coming from the social environment usually interact and impact the way technology is used. This determines the consideration of an additional theoretical concept to the analysis, that of Social Shaping of Technology, and changes the dynamics of exploring the topic. Conclusions demonstrate that the relationship between user and technology can be characterized as a double-way approach, with complex and ambiguous attributes, where both forces interact and can lead to positive and constructive behavioral outcomes but also to critical and hard to control mental conditions.

Non-exercise physical activity (NEPA), also called unstructured or informal physical activity, refers to those daily activities that require movement of the human body without planning or strict control of the physical effort made. Due to new technologies and motorized transportation devices, the general population has significantly decreased its NEPA. This increase in sedentary lifestyles, physical inactivity, and excessive energy intake is considered a risk factor for obesity, non-communicable diseases (NCDs), and all-cause mortality. Searching in PubMed/MEDLINE and Web of Science databases, a narrative review of NEPA was carried out to address its conceptualization, promotion strategies for the general population, and monitoring through wearable devices. It is strongly recommended that governmental entities, health practitioners, and the construction industry adhere to “The Global Action Plan on Physical Activity 2018–2030: More Active People for a Healthier World” and implement different salutogenic urban strategies. These strategies aim to generate environments that motivate increases in NEPA, such as cycling and walking transportation (between 5000–12,500 steps per day), and the progression to physical exercise. There is a wide variety of electronic devices for personal use, such as accelerometers, smartphone apps, or “smart clothes”, that allow for the monitoring of NEPA, some with a wide range of analysis variables contributing to the estimation of total daily energy expenditure and the promotion of healthy habits. In general, the further promotion and monitoring of NEPA is required as part of a strategy to promote healthy habits sustainable over time for the prevention and control of obesity and NCDs.

Background: Breast cancer (BC) has particular characteristics in young women, with diagnosis at more advanced stages, a poorer prognosis and highly aggressive tumors. In NeoFit, we will use an activity tracker to identify and describe various digital profiles (heart rate, physical activity, and sleep patterns) in women below the age of 45 years on neoadjuvant chemotherapy for BC.Methods: NeoFit is a prospective, national, multicenter, single-arm open-label study. It will include 300 women below the age of 45 years treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy for BC. Participants will be asked to wear a Withing Steel HR activity tracker round the clock for 12 months. The principal assessments will be performed at baseline, at the end of neoadjuvant chemotherapy and at 12 months. We will evaluate clinical parameters, such as toxicity and the efficacy of chemotherapy, together with quality of life, fatigue, and parameters relating to lifestyle and physical activity. The women will complete REDCap form questionnaires via a secure internet link.Discussion: In this study, the use of an activity tracker will enable us to visualize changes in the lifestyle of young women on neoadjuvant chemotherapy for BC, over the course of a one-year period. This exploratory study will provide crucial insight into the digital phenotypes of young BC patients on neoadjuvant chemotherapy and the relationship between these phenotypes and the toxicity and efficacy of treatment. This trial will pave the way for interventional studies involving sleep and physical activity interventions.Trial Registration: Clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT05011721 . Registration date: 18/08/2021. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Numerous healthcare apps, medical trackers, and wearable sensors are the furthermost significant progression in medical technology for self-care, especially in children, older people, and Alzheimer's patients. Objective: The study aims to discover opportunities by medication apps and wearable selfmonitoring sensors for older adults, children, and Alzheimer's patients. Method: We investigated that how the advancement in modern technology can help in preventing health issues in individuals. Various applications in smartphone and wearable devices utilize these technologies, make them more user-friendly with only one tap and successfully prevent serious health conditions. Results: The deep investigation revealed three primary themes: 'Device Functionality', 'Reasons for Use,' and 'Utilization Strategies.' Conclusion: In summarized manner we can say that critical health and lifestyle aspects of individuals can handle by SW-SHMS or medical tracker devices, especially in older people, children and those individuals who are suffering from chronic diseases and neuro disorders such as Alzheimer's. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As smartphone and wearable device ownership increase, interest in their utility to monitor physical activity has risen concurrently. Numerous examples of the application of wearables in clinical and epidemiological research settings already exist. However, whether these devices are all suitable for physical activity surveillance is open for debate. In this commentary, we respond to a commentary by Mair et al. (2021) and discuss four key issues specifically relevant to surveillance that we believe need to be tackled before consumer wearables can be considered for this measurement purpose: representative sampling, representative wear time, validity and reliability, and compatibility between devices. A recurring theme is how to deal with systematic biases by demographic groups. We suggest some potential solutions to the issues of concern such as providing individuals with standardized devices, considering summary metrics of physical activity less prone to wear time biases, and the development of a framework to harmonize estimates between device types and their inbuilt algorithms. We encourage collaborative efforts from researchers and consumer wearable manufacturers in this area. In the meantime, we caution against the use of consumer wearable device data for inference of population-level activity without the consideration of these issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]