Wearable Activity Tracker Use in Young Adults through the Lens of Social Cognitive Theory

Background: Young adults are adopting wearables ahead of research. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the use of trackers through Social Cognitive Theory (SCT). Methods: SCT-guided individual interviews were conducted with young adults (n = 57). Typical case sampling was used to recru...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:American journal of health education 2019-01, Vol.50 (1), p.40-51
Main Authors: Gowin, Mary, Wilkerson, Amanda, Maness, Sarah, Larson, Daniel J, Crowson, H. Michael, Smith, Michael, Cheney, Marshall K
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adults
Barriers
Cognitive ability
College Students
Correlation
Education
Educational Practices
Effectiveness
Epistemology
Expectation
Goal Orientation
Goal setting
Health
Health Behavior
Health education
Internet
Knowledge management
Measurement Equipment
Occupational health
Physical activity
Physical Activity Level
Risk
Self Control
Self Efficacy
Social Cognition
Social interactions
Social Support Groups
Student Attitudes
Tracking devices
Wearable computers
Wearable technology
Young adults
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Summary:Background: Young adults are adopting wearables ahead of research. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the use of trackers through Social Cognitive Theory (SCT). Methods: SCT-guided individual interviews were conducted with young adults (n = 57). Typical case sampling was used to recruit college students (n = 35) and straight-to-work (STW) young adults (n = 22) for in-person/online interviews. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using NVivo. Results: There were few differences between the two groups. Most reported little knowledge of the benefits/risks associated with their health behavior (eg, physical activity) but high expectations of how devices would assist them in developing/maintaining behavior. Self-regulatory aspects were seen as benefits. Many reported not setting goals other than those set by their device. Most reported increased self-efficacy and viewed their device as positive, nonjudgmental social support. Discussion: Young adult device use can be health directed or health related. Utilizing devices and SCT-based education may increase young adults' knowledge, self-efficacy, and self-regulation while managing expectations. Translation to Health Education Practice: Health Educators should focus on increasing health knowledge, managing expectations, and setting goals. Building on the increased self-efficacy and social support that young adults reported as part of their wearable activity tracker use could provide a solid foundation for Health Education efforts. A AJHE Self-Study quiz is online for this article via the SHAPE America Online Institute (SAOI)http://portal.shapeamerica.org/trn-Webinars
ISSN:1932-5037
2168-3751
DOI:10.1080/19325037.2018.1548314