Almost one in three Americans uses a wearable device, such as a smart watch or band, to track their health and fitness, according to thousands of adults who participated in the Health Information National Trends Survey. Among wearable device users, most, more than 80%, would share information from their device with their doctor to support their health monitoring. However, less than one in four adults with or at risk for cardiovascular disease uses a wearable device.
Researchers also found that among adults with cardiovascular disease who use a wearable device, 38% use it regularly compared to almost half of other adults. Adults between the ages of 18-49, with higher household incomes, and who attended college were also more likely to report using wearable devices. The authors conclude that as wearable devices, including those used to track a person’s heart rhythm, become more popular and pair with medical data, strategies to support equitable access should be considered.
The research was partially supported by NHLBI and published in JAMA Network Open.