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TECHNO FIT
Running head: TECHNO FIT
Research Project: Techno Fit
Christopher Brown
Queens University of Charlotte
2015
Table of ContentsAbstract3Introduction4Literature
Review5Methodology15Analysis & Discussion16Limitations &
Future Research Suggestions22Conclusion23Appendix A24Appendix
B31References34
Abstract
The purpose of the research is to examine the relationship
between the usage of fitness trackers and the influence of the
media has on the users of the devices. Over the past ten years,
fitness and health app use has grown exponentially. With the
continuing development of applications for smart phones, people are
being more and more conscious with their health and regulating
through a new medium. But when combining fitness trackers and apps
together, the possibilities of health tracking are endless. So,
along with examining the relationship between the media’s influence
and trackers, this study also examines what tracker and app
characteristics, or features, attracts users. In terms of data
collection, a questionnaire was distributed across various social
media platforms to the targeted sample group of fitness tracker and
app users between the ages of 18 and 60.
Introduction
This study used the method of survey research to examine the
influence of the mass media has on the usage of fitness trackers
and health applications on smartphones. Over the past ten years,
the use of wearable fitness technology and related health
monitoring applications has grown substantially. The underlying
purpose of these devices is to monitor your health and exercise in
a non-traditional way, making the idea of “getting fit” more
appealing and enjoyable. However, as these devices have become more
and more popular, speculations have begun to rise about their
intended purpose versus what consumers are actually purchasing them
for.
Research has shown that health related applications have been
widely used in the medical field by doctors for keeping track of
patient’s records and medication usage. Furthermore, health
applications, coined “mHealth” apps, have been developed to help
people in rural areas where a doctor might not be available for
diagnosis of an illness. From the development of these
applications, grows the emerging trend of wearable fitness and
health monitoring technology. Therefore, the major question that
needs to be answered, is in what ways are consumers being
influenced to use these health apps or purchase the wearable
technology?
One of the top sellers of wearable fitness technology is Fitbit.
Their fitness trackers not only provide health monitoring
capabilities, but also a fashionable way to stay in shape and be
active. However, due to the mass amounts of competing brands and
their products, the fitness craze has slightly taken a different
direction. While people are still purchasing fitness technology for
purely fitness purposes, some are using them as a fashion
statement. Therefore, it is important to understand just where this
influence is coming from and how the mass media is reeling in the
consumers, along with how many people are using wearable fitness
technology for purely exercise.
The data collected within this study will be beneficial in a few
ways. First, it will give those who are skeptical of the real usage
of fitness trackers a general understanding of what consumers
really use them for and why. While the research was not done with a
widespread audience (i.e. the entire United States), it will
provide those who wish to learn more about the usage of fitness
trackers with a stepping-stone to further the research. Secondly,
since the research contains information about the privacy of
fitness apps and trackers, people who are skeptical of their online
privacy will also benefit from the study. Lastly, the research is
important to companies who wish to figure out the usage of their
products among consumers. Whether a brand decides to market towards
more fashionable devices or strictly “sporty” technology is up to
them. But it is important for them to consider which side of the
scale consumers are leaning towards.
RESEARCH QUESTION: How has the media influenced the usage of
wearable activity trackers and the use of health related apps?
Literature Review
Evolution of Fitness and Health Apps
While people want to maintain their health and fitness regimen
with apps, the government is also encouraging the growth of
“mHealth” (mobile health) (Melnik, 2011). In 2010, the National
Institutes of Health handed out grants for industries to research
the mobile health craze. Melnik (2011) states that stakeholders
within the mobile health industry see the technology growth as a
way to save money when it comes to dealing with major diseases,
educate the general population, and to reach people in areas where
proper medical care might not be available. For consumers to use
these apps, they need to download them to their smartphone or
tablet. In August of 2011, the Apple App Store had reportedly sold
around 425,000 health related applications and the Android App
Stores had sold approximately 250,000 apps (Melnik, 2011).
Focusing more on the United States, Jeff Kabachinksi (2011)
states that in 2011 about 12% of the population was 65 or older,
which contributed to about $2 trillion in total healthcare costs.
In addition to this, about 47 million uninsured Americans are
putting extra pressure on the healthcare system and the average
American population is about 23 pounds overweight (Kabachinksi,
2011). To help alleviate this added stress on the healthcare
system, mobile medical apps can be used by the average American to
help prevent and manage conditions such as illnesses and obesity.
As of 2011, 19% of American citizens had smartphones that had the
capability to support health related applications, which would help
alleviate the strain on the healthcare system (Kabachinksi,
2011).
Consumers are not the only ones using the health related apps.
In 2011, about 72% of physicians had smartphones and that number
was estimated to shoot up to 82% by 2012 (Kabachinksi, 2011). Along
with having these apps on their smartphones, they are using the
applications within their own offices via iPad and other tablets.
For example, patients can now interact with their doctor’s office
and pharmacy by refilling prescriptions via designated apps
(Kabachinksi, 2011). With the continuing move towards a
revolutionized healthcare system, these mobile medical applications
will greatly impact the medical field in the near future.
Gary Shapiro (2012) states that more and more people are weaving
health apps and other “wearable” tech into their daily lives. In
2012, it was calculated that the use of fitness applications and
wearable tech accounted for $70 billion of business in the United
States (Shapiro, 2012). A major cause of the huge revenue is that
fact that people can literally control their health at their
fingertips. With the ease of these apps, people can monitor their
own health and work towards goals that they have set for
themselves.
Pros and Cons of mHealth Applications
Before diving into the benefits and roadblocks of these mHealth
applications, it is important to understand the two groups into
which they are categorized. Daniel F. Schulke (2013) separates the
apps into two general groups: “provider-focused” and
“patient-focused”. The provider-focused group allows doctors and
other medical professionals to monitor their patient’s health,
examine x-rays, CT scans, and even write electronic prescriptions
for a patient. On the other side of the spectrum are the
patient-focused apps, which include wellness program applications,
medication management that alerts their doctor when they miss a
dose, and even heart rate monitoring (Schulke, 2013).
Health monitoring apps can have great potential for improving
health in areas where doctors aren’t readily available. In rural
areas, there are only about 57 physicians for every 100,000 people,
where in urban areas there are about 78 physicians for every
100,000 (Schulke, 2013). With the implementation of the health
apps, people in rural areas can get low cost care at their
fingertips.
Another excellent benefit of fitness and health apps is the
exercise programs that they offer. These various apps include yoga,
running, weight lifting, biking, and other various physical
activities (Sibley & McKethan, 2012). Along with providing a
detailed workout plan, these apps even include pictures of how to
do certain exercises that might be difficult to convey by text.
Furthermore, social networks can be incorporated into these apps,
which allow you to compete with your friends (Sibley &
McKethan, 2012). Lastly, physical education teachers can use these
applications within the classroom and even outside for homework.
Sibley and McKethan (2012) give an example of how the teacher can
set up stations for exercises given in a certain app and have the
students rotate through the stations, then record their progress in
their own app on their phone. Along with doing exercises during
class, the students can electronically submit their homework
through the apps as well.
Paschou, Sakkopoulos, and Tsakalidis (2013) confirm that many
people are using the mHealth apps to help improve their lives and
to aid in health needs. In their study, they broke down the process
of recreating a health app for doctors to use with their patients.
While explaining the method of how certain apps are created, they
also mention how great these apps will be to the medical world.
While some studies and researchers show that health and fitness
apps are beneficial, some people believe the opposite. Barker
(2014) blatantly states, “Fitness apps don’t work”. In 2013, a
survey was done to see how many apps actually gave instructions on
exercises, rather than just information. Barker (2014) was able to
conclude that of the 40,000 apps in the Apple App Store only about
half of these provided instructional use. From this, she concludes
that while the app “may get you moving for a week or two”, it won’t
ultimately lead to better health.
Schulke (2013) also brings up a concern about security risk for
users of these mHealth applications. The Health Insurance
Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) oversee specific
standards for personal health information that is submitted
electronically. However, they do not cover third-party groups whose
apps might not have the best data security (Schulke, 2013). For
example, a doctor might store patient information, such as notes
and medical records, on a tablet. If the doctor were to ever lose
the device, have it stolen, or even hacked, any of the records on
the device would be easily accessible to the general public. In
other words, the information will be protected to a certain degree
but not to what it should be. Another concern that Shulke (2013)
brings up is the lack of security when transferring data from
device to device. With the right tools, a hacker could easily
intercept the information being transferred and hinder the
patient’s privacy. Overall, the main concerns of the mobile health
apps lean towards the outcomes people may receive and the privacy
of patients when it comes to data being stored or transferred on
doctor’s mobile devices.
Wearable Fitness Tech
While many people use fitness and health apps singularly, the
use of wearable fitness devices to pair with the apps has become an
emerging trend. Over recent years physical activity trackers such
as Jawbone, Fitbit, and the Nike Fuel Band have become extremely
popular with consumers who want to track their health and improve
their every day lives. When wearable fitness tech first came out,
they were extremely pricy and not available to many people (Skiba,
2014). However, according to Weiser (1993) these wearable
technologies are the next phase in the “evolution of ubiquitous
computing”. They will gradually be incorporated into every aspect
of our lives, such as the popular device called Fitbit.
As the top market leader in the Connected Health & Fitness
category of Business Wire, Fitbit is among the top sellers of
wearable fitness tech (Business Wire, 2013). The company’s first
product, Fitbit Tracker, was launched in 2009. This product was
able to attach to the user’s clothes, tracking steps and sleep
patterns (Tucker, 2009). In 2013, they announced the Fitbit One,
Fitbit Zip, and Fitbit Flex. A major milestone for the company was
when they upgraded the device to using Bluetooth 4.0, which allows
the device to update on the mobile app in real-time (Business Wire,
2013). Additionally, Fitbit was the first and only activity tracker
to offer Bluetooth 4.0 syncing on iPhones and the only to offer 4.0
syncing on Android devices. As CEO James Park States “People are
realizing that they are more active and can get more fit when they
are more connected and aware of their fitness activities”. A major
draw for consumers is the customizability for the Fitbit Flex. With
this device, you can interchange the wristbands for different
colors to match your outfit. If companies follow what Fitbit has
done, there will be a great future for wearable fitness tech.
Fitness and the Mass Media
When considering the influence of the mass media on the use of
wearable fitness technology, and fitness itself, it is important to
understand how social media platforms are beginning to be more and
more incorporated. Over recent years, social media has become the
prime marketing platform for fitness companies, gyms, and various
brands to advertise their products and services.
In 2012, Joseph Field, Dennis Elbert, and Steven Moser of the
University of North Dakota, conducted a study on how the use of
social media could increase interest in wellness on a college
campus. To help spread word about the fitness center, they created
a competition among the students that would award them virtual
“coins” whenever they would check-in at the school’s fitness center
(Elbert, Field, Moser, 2012). In order to spread word about the
fitness center and the competition, they marketed towards the
students on Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter.
From the study, they were able to conclude that marketing
towards the students through social media, did in fact have an
influence on those who used the fitness center. For example, before
the study began, the fitness center’s Facebook page had around
1,200 fans, to almost 3,600 fans at the conclusion of the research
(Elbert, Field, Moser, 2012). While Twitter and YouTube started off
with the lowest number of followers and fans, they did in fact see
an increase as well. The center’s Twitter followers grew from 200
to 300, and the YouTube page grew from 1,000 to 1,300 fans (Elbert,
Field, Moser, 2012).
As the fitness center study shows, social media has a major role
in influencing not only students, but people in general when it
comes to fitness and health. Because social media use is becoming
more and more prevalent in today’s society, the advertisements
viewers see on the various mediums has a great influence on what
they purchase and how the choose to exercise.
Widening the focus from college students to America as a whole,
there is much concern over the growing obesity among adolescents
and teens. Researchers Myles Jay Polsgrove and Renee Elizabeth
Frimming (2013) looked into the causes of the rise of obesity and
ways that it could possibly be reversed.
Frimming and Polsgrove (2013) state that while America is
becoming more and more lazy, the pressure of reversing the obesity
trend has been put on physical education. However, funding for such
programs as been greatly reduced which puts strain on teachers and
instructors to literally do more with little to no money. In order
to overcome this hindrance, Frimming and Polsgrove (2013) have
proposed an idea.
Within their research, they state that 83% of students use the
Internet for health and medical information and 61% connect to each
other through social networks, according to the Pew Internet &
American Life Project. Taking this information, Frimming and
Polsgrove (2013) stated that students could create a group on
Facebook and post questions for each other to answer. In other
words, they could ask questions about heath related topics and get
answers from their peers. The purpose for the group forum setting
is for existing members and new members to gain knowledge about
physical education through a new medium. In addition to the
students interacting, teachers, instructors, and coaches can also
participate and answer questions the students may have (Frimming
& Polsgrove, 2013). Overall the main goal of the group would be
to help further education about health and wellness, while
providing students a more interactive approach to learning.
While social and mass media can be used to bring students
together for education purposes and to trigger interest in fitness
centers, large companies can also bring consumers together to
provide fitness and wellness information. Sears, well known for
their appliances and power tools, launched an online fitness
component for their rapid selling fitness equipment. In an article
written by Natalie Zmuda (2012) from the Advertising Age, she talks
with Julia Fitzgerald who is the chief digital engagement officer
for sporting goods at Sears. As Fitzgerald claims, “When you buy a
piece of equipment, you’re really coming in for a healthier
lifestyle or to lose that last 15 pounds.” In response to the high
demand for fitness equipment and an overall healthier lifestyle,
Sears created an online counterpart called FitStudio (Zmuda, 2012).
In a nutshell, FitStudio is comprised of a board of experts in the
fitness field along with a number of bloggers to deliver workouts,
fitness trends, and nutritional information to its customers
(Zmuda, 2012). Efforts to promote the online counterpart has been
primarly over social media, in-store advertisements, and
advertisements on Facebook.
Online Privacy
While the number of users of wearable fitness technology has
exploded, there are rising concerns about security and privacy when
sharing information via social media. In an ever-growing world of
social media, it is important to understand the amount of personal
information that is at just about at anybody’s fingertips on social
networking sites. Marwick (2012) conducted a study on how people
are using social media as a means of “surveillance” on their
friends and other people they know. Through her research, Alice
Marwick was able to give a single term to the broadcasting of
information to social networks: “lifestreaming”. Simply put,
lifestreaming is the sharing of an individual’s information to a
social network, like Facebook (Marwick, 2012). Marwick (2012)
further explains this process by breaking it down into two distinct
processes. First, the individual tracks their personal information
or progress. Next, they will broadcast it out to various social
media outlets for their friends and followers to see. Marwick
(2012) uses the popular Fitbit fitness tracker as an example of
information and progress tracking. The device keeps count of the
user’s calories burned, amount of sleep, and steps taken throughout
the day. In terms of broadcasting, this information is stored on
Fitbit’s database hub and is available for all users to see as long
as they are “friends” with each other through Fitbit. While it is
at the consent of users to let people view their profile, they are
still subject to social surveillance (Marwick, 2012).
Scott Peppet, a writer for the Texas Law Review, further
supports the topic of how personal information is so vulnerable by
conducting an in depth analysis on little control consumers have
over their wearable technology and fitness sensors. Peppet (2014)
categorizes the health monitoring devices into five different
groups based on how intrusive they are to the consumer. Starting
with the most intrusive, are devices such as scales and
blood-pressure monitors. Next comes the wearable sensor, such as a
wristband or a device that clips on your belt. Third in line are
sensors such as an electronic tattoo, followed by electronic pills
in the fourth category. Lastly, sensors that can be implanted
within the human body are in the fifth category (Peppet, 2014).
According to Peppet’s study, wearable fitness technology is
going far beyond just simply monitoring your steps. One of the
increasingly popular lines of fitness technology is Fitbit. The
Fitbit brand has not only activity trackers to wear on your wrist,
but also a scale that links up with your tracker and Fitbit’s
website (Peppet, 2014). Peppet states that as these devices become
more and more popular, potential employers of those using these
devices might ask for an applicant’s Fitbit records over a period
of time. Peppet (2014) justifies this insane idea by stating that
employers are always incorporating new data analysis technique when
hiring applicants based on productivity. In other words, the
personal data that people keep on their fitness devices may not be
as personal as they thought.
Looking Forward: Wearable Technology and the Digital World
As some people may be skeptical if using the wearable trackers
produces any results, a study has been done that shows wearable
technology is in fact effective and will only improve as the
technology itself improves. Pellegrini et al (2012) conducted a
study, which compared the results of weight loss from using
wearable fitness tech, and in-person visits with a medical
professional. They took 51 subjects between the ages of 21 and 55,
separating them into the two groups. In the end of the study, they
concluded that both groups resulted in almost equal weight loss
(Pellegrini et al, 2012). Since this study has been conducted,
numerous other studies testing similar correlations have been
conducted, thus supporting the fact that wearable fitness tech is
effective.
Over this past year, digital health “exhibits” have jumped
skywards about 40% at the International Consumer Electronics Show,
an annual event that is held in Las Vegas, Nevada (Collier, 2014).
Collier (2014) explains that with the aging “baby boomers” becoming
more comfortable with using technology and focusing on more on
their health, the market for fitness tech will become more in
demand, which in turn will expand the usage population. In
Collier’s article, there is a quote from Steve Koenig, director of
industry analysis for the Consumer Electronics Association, that
states, “by 2017 we are looking at a $3 billion market
opportunity”. In other words, Koenig is saying that by 2017 the
demand for fitness tech and health trackers will be in extreme
demand for all types of users.
As the year’s progress and technology becomes more advanced, the
mHealth and wearable fitness tech sectors will slowly begin to
bleed out into bigger fields. For example, Mobile Health and News
Products published an article back in 2012 that essentially
predicted the apps to come out in the near future for doctors and
general consumers. These include prescribing apps for doctors,
ingestible sensors to track your body’s chemistry, and even a
wireless ultrasound device that stores information to a cloud based
system.
Douglas Rushkoff (2011), Professor of Media Theory and Digital
Economics, raises the question important question of “What are we
doing to one another through technology?” In 2011, Rushkoff sat
down with PBS to discuss the topic of how users of technology often
do not really know what the intended purpose of a certain device
is, or how it affects them directly. As a result of this, people
are using devices and other forms of technology to get results that
they cannot predict. Rushkoff (2011) further states that people are
simply using technology because it is accessible to them, rather
than using it for its intended purpose. For example, with the
fitness trackers, people may be buying them simply because it is
affordable and fashionable rather than buying it to help stay
healthy and keep track of fitness goals.
While the world is becoming more and more technological every
day, all of this technology could in fact be taking time away from
us, rather than saving time (Rushkoff, 2013). Rushkoff (2013)
states that there is a constant tug-of-war between “chronos”, which
is sequential time, and “kairos”, which is a specific moment in
time when events take place. In today’s world, we are constantly
trying to use technology to create time within our own lives by
taking reality out of chronos and trying to adapt it to kairos.
However, during this “process” we are actually wasting more time
trying to balance all of our media outlets at once, rather than
saving it (Rushkoff, 2013). He also states that as humans we need
to not let technology and computers “control us”, rather find ways
to let it help us create more understanding of kairos and to help
get away from chronos. Put simply, humans need to learn how to
effectively incorporate the kairos aspect of time into their lives
without wasting time trying to do it.
Methodology
Hypothesis
There will be a somewhat even mix of people who use them as just
an accessory and those who actually use them for their intended
purposes.
Objective
The questionnaire that the researcher will be administering will
examine the correlation between health apps for smartphones used
with fitness trackers, and the influence they have on those who use
them in the United States through media exposure. In recent years,
the use of health related apps and fitness trackers have
substantially grown, therefore making it important to understand
the influence on the users of the fitness products.
Sample
The sample for this project was a fairly broad spectrum.
Respondents were targeted on social media websites and email. Due
to the vast age range of the users of wearable trackers and apps,
the age range of this project is between 18 and 60 years old.
Questionnaire (Quantitative)
The participants were asked questions that relate to how often
they work out, to what extent they follow plans on the fitness
apps, and how closely they monitor their trackers. Furthermore, the
respondents were asked what influenced them to buy their fitness
trackers or download the apps, and if the media had any “say” in
their decision. For example, what brand did they get based on the
media’s influence.
Analysis & Discussion
As stated in the methodology, the wearable fitness technology
and health app questionnaire was distributed across the following
social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. The
questionnaire was open and able to be filled out for about two
months, with occasional reminder posts to motivate the potential
respondents to fill out the questionnaire. After closing down the
questionnaire and compiling the data into graphs and charts using
Microsoft Excel, the results could then be analyzed according to
each question.
In total, there were 139 participants who completed or attempted
to complete the questionnaire. At the beginning of the
questionnaire there was a screening question that would let you
continue if you met the needed criteria, or direct you to the
disqualification page if you did not meet the criteria. Out of the
139 participants, 58 (40%) used or have used fitness trackers and
apps, 81 (55%) have never used fitness trackers or apps therefore
disqualified, and 8 (5%) did not fully complete the survey (Figure
1, Appendix A).
Moving on in the questionnaire, the respondents were then asked
their average exercise time. The choice of answers was 30-60
minutes, 60-90 minutes, and 90 minutes or more. The category that
was chosen the most among respondents was the “30-60 minute”
category, containing 61% of the total respondents. Next highest was
the “60-90 minute” category, with 27.8% responses. Lastly, the “90
minutes or more” category was the least chosen, containing only 11%
of the responses (Figure 2, Appendix A).
Next the participants were asked whether or not they wear their
tracker all the time, every day. 58.5% answered yes, whereas 41.5%
answered no (Figure 3, Appendix A). In terms of the fitness apps,
the participants were asked how often they use or look at fitness
apps on their smartphone. 30.8% said they look at a fitness app 1-2
times per week, 26.5% said 3-4 times per week, and 32.4% said they
looked every day (Figure 4, Appendix A). In addition to being asked
how often they look at fitness apps and how frequently they wear
their tracker, the participants were asked to categorize, in
general, the media’s influence. Out of the four categories, “health
websites & blogs” was rated the highest influence, containing
78.4% of the responses. The next highest was the “TV shows”
category with 41.5% saying that they were influenced by shows on
TV, followed by the “ads in gyms” category at 7.8%. Lastly, the
“celebrity endorsement” category had 1.9% (Figure 5, Appendix
A).
Participants were asked to rate, on a Likert scale, how the
price of the activity tracker influenced their purchase. 18.9% said
that they “strongly agree” with the fact that price influenced
their decision. 54.7% claimed that they “somewhat agree” with the
statement. In between the two sides of the scale, lies 13.2% who
claim that they had “no opinion” about the price factor. On the
other side of the scale, 5.7% said they “somewhat disagree” with
the influence of price. The “strongly disagree” category was chosen
the least, with only 7.6% (See Figure 6, Appendix A).
In addition to the influence of price, the participants also
rated whether or not they thought there were a decent amount of
advertisements for trackers on TV, on a Likert scale. 9.4% said
that they “strongly agree” that there are enough advertisements on
TV. 26.4% said that they “somewhat agree” with the statement and
24.5% had “no opinion” or were indifferent about the statement.
However, most of the participants chose the “disagree” side of the
scale with 26.4% in the “somewhat disagree” group and 13.2% in the
“strongly disagree” group (Figure 7, Appendix A).
Since social media has become a major part of advertising and
marketing, a question was asked about whether or not the
participants believed social media was a primary advertisement
outlet. 24% said they “strongly agree” that social media is a main
source of advertisement and 42.6% “somewhat agreed” with the
statement. About 28% said that they have “no opinion” as to the
affect social media has on advertising, 5.6% “somewhat disagreed”
and the “strongly disagree” category had 0% (Figure 8, Appendix A).
Furthermore, social networking sites when connected with those you
know, allows an influence from other peers in your purchasing
decision. Participants were asked whether or not they believed
social networks and their friends had an influence on their
purchase. The results were as follows: “strongly agree” 17%,
“somewhat disagree” 35.4%, “no opinion” 13%, “somewhat disagree”
16.7%, and “strongly disagree” 19% (Figure 9, Appendix A).
Whether or not people used the trackers to be fashionable or
purely for fitness purposes was another aspect of the study.
Participants were given the statement “bought tracker to be more
fashionable” and then chose categories from “strongly agree” to
“strongly disagree”. 2% said they “strongly agree”, 27.1% said they
“somewhat agree”, 8.3% had “no opinion”, 27.1% “somewhat
disagreed”, and finally 35.4% said they “strongly disagreed” with
the statement (Figure 10, Appendix A). In response to whether or
not they use a tracker for goals and daily progress, 43.75% chose
“strongly agree”, 47.92% “somewhat agreed”, 6.25% “no opinion”, 2%
“somewhat disagree”, and 0% in the “strongly disagree” group
(Figure 11, Appendix A). Concluding the questions about the
activity trackers, was a question asking participants which brand
of tracker they own. 47% stated they own a Fitbit product, 8% own
Samsung, 12% use a Jawbone device, 21% use Garmin, and 12% chose
the “other” category which includes Nike and Apple iPhone Health
Dashboard (Figure 12, Appendix A).
Lastly, demographics were also taken into consideration in the
questionnaire. After gathering the responses and dividing up the
data, it was determined that 52% of participants were male and 48%
were female (Figure 13, Appendix A). For age, participants were
broken up into 4 groups: 18-24 years old, 25-34 years old, 35-44
years old, and then 45 and up. The percentage for each group is as
follows: 24% 18-24 years old, 22.45% 25-34 years old, 10.20% 35-44
years old, and 42.86% were 45 and up (Figure 14, Appendix A).
Through data collection by questionnaire, the researcher hoped
to answer the following questions:
· How has the media influenced the usage of wearable activity
trackers and the use of health related apps?
· Has the use of activity trackers become more of a fashion
statement or are people actually using them for fitness
purposes?
· What brand of fitness trackers do consumers predominantly
use?
· What characteristics of activity trackers attract
consumers?
Based on the questions that were asked in the questionnaire, the
results were categorized under the appropriate research question in
order to help answer or provide a reasonable outcome to the
question. In order to get a better understanding of what each
research question’s answer was, this section has been subdivided
into three parts that correspond to the three research questions of
the study.
The Media’s Influence
To start with, the general influence of the media was grouped
into various groups such as TV shows and health related websites.
After graphing the results from this section, it was determined
that people were most influenced by health websites and blogs. Most
likely, these sites include advertisements on Facebook, Twitter,
and other forms of popular social media that linked them to a
specific brand of fitness tracker. Furthermore, health related
websites could even include sporting goods stores as they pertain
to leading a healthy and active lifestyle.
The next question pertaining to the media’s influence, asked the
participants whether or not they thought there are a decent amount
of advertisements on TV for health trackers and mobile apps. While
the expected outcome was that there would be fewer responses saying
that there were enough advertisements on television promoting
fitness trackers, the result was the complete opposite. At the
close of the questionnaire, those who chose the “somewhat disagree”
and “somewhat agree” categories were tied at 26.4%.
Moving towards the social media side as a form of advertisement,
Elbert, Field, and Moser’s (2012) study supports the results
gathered. While their study involved promoting a fitness center for
a college over social media, their results proved that social media
does have an effect promotion and advertising. For example, in the
results collected from this research project on wearable fitness
technology, it was concluded that respondents do see social media
as a primary advertisement outlet for fitness trackers and health
apps.
Finally, the questionnaire looked at how social networks and
friends influenced consumers’ purchase decisions. The majority of
respondents agreed that social media and friends, inferring that
they rely on what others think of certain brands and trackers,
influenced them. Furthermore, the data that Frimming and Polsgrove
(2013) collected about how students seek out information on health
and medical information on social media can support this study as
well. In their study, it was found that 83% of students use the
Internet for health and medical information, while 61% used social
media to connect with each other.
Fashion or Fitness
To start, it was important to ask participants how often they
exercise in order to get a basic idea of the “fitness demographic”
that was answering the questionnaire. As predicted, the majority of
respondents spend about 30-60 minutes exercising. Instead of asking
the frequency of their exercise, they were asked how long they
usually exercise when they exercise. Most of the respondents also
wore their activity trackers all the time, while almost half did
not wear theirs all the time. This result was a bit shocking due to
the fact that since the questionnaire was targeted towards those
who use fitness trackers, it was assumed that participants would
almost always wear their trackers all the time. A reason why they
may not wear it all the time, could be simply because they only
wear it when exercising and want to calories or miles ran during a
workout.
While some activity trackers were designed with the
fashion-conscious people in mind, the overall response to whether
or not people bought a tracker to be fashionable was a surprising.
The majority of respondents decided that they strongly disagree
with the statement: “Bought tracker to be fashionable”. From the
data collected, one can confirm that those who have a fitness
tracker use it for mainly exercise purposes, rather than as a
fashion statement. To further support this, in the question that
asked participants about using trackers to keep note of goals and
daily progress, it can be clearly seen that more than half of the
respondents in fact use their device for goal and progress
tracking. This data in one way confirms Fitbit CEO James Park’s
statement about how people become more active when they are more
digitally connected and more aware of their fitness regimen.
Brand of Tracker
The results for this section were particularly interesting. As
the research discussed in the literature review and the data
collected in this study show, Fitbit is the brand owned by the
majority of participants. As the previous research done by Business
Wire states, Fitbit is the top market leader in the Connected
Health & Fitness category of wearable technology. Other popular
brands such as Jawbone, Garmin, and Samsung were the runner ups the
category, which is shown in the research from this study. A factor
that might have contributed to Samsung’s somewhat low percentage,
is the fact that their trackers only work with Samsung smartphones
such as the Galaxy series. Whereas Jawbone and Fitbit can be synced
to any smartphone and users can download the accompanying app.
Another factor that may have encouraged consumers to purchase
Fitbit is the fact that the Fitbit Flex tracker can be customized.
Through customization, users can match the tracker’s wristband to
their outfit.
Characteristic Influences
When purchasing wearable fitness technology, consumers take a
lot into consideration about the characteristics of the device. For
example the price of the fitness tracker. Most likely, consumers
have a budget they are looking to keep their purchase within and
are only willing to spend outside of their targeted range if the
purchase will be worth the extra cost. It was expected that the
price of the tracker would influence their decision, so the results
of this aspect were not shocking. Over half of the respondents
claimed that the price was extremely important to them, therefore
influencing their decision. Another characteristic that consumers
take into account is the features and size of the device. As
expected, the results showed that the size and features of the
tracker have a great influence on the choice of purchase.
Demographics
The last important aspect of this study, are the demographics
that were obtained from respondents. After compiling all of the
questionnaire data, it was determined that the gender ratio was
almost split directly in half. In other words, both male and
females stated that they use fitness trackers and health apps on a
regular basis. Furthermore, the age range of users tended to learn
towards the higher end of the scale. While there was still a decent
amount of users between the ages of 18 and 44, the 45 and up group
contained the most respondents. The age group of 35 to 44 had the
least respondents, containing only 10.2% of the overall
responses
Limitations & Future Research Suggestions
While this research project did provide useful and descriptive
results, it is not without limitations that hindered optimal
results from the sample used. First, the methods in which the
questionnaire was distributed should be reevaluated. For this
project, the questionnaire was distributed to the sample group
across social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and
LinkedIn. While those social networking sites provided decent
results, gaining respondents through hard copy questionnaires could
increase the respondent pool.
In addition, the screening question at the beginning of the
questionnaire presented a small setback. In order to obtain
accurate results for this study, the questionnaire needed a
question at the beginning that would prevent those who do not use
fitness apps or wearable technology from answering the
questionnaire. As a result of this, almost half of the respondents
were turned away and could not answer the questionnaire. Therefore,
for future research by use of an online questionnaire, the
researcher should rework the questionnaire to where not having a
screening question would be beneficial to the research.
A final limitation that presented itself in this study was the
lack of questionnaire completion. Since respondents were allowed to
skip over questions, the accuracy of each individual question was
not 100% at the time of data analysis. Furthermore, there were a
few surveys that had only two or three questions answered. A
suggestion for future research is to get approval to make questions
required in order to get as close to 100% accuracy as possible.
Conclusion
While this report is not confirming any aspect of the wearable
technology community, it does however provide an insight as to how
the media influences consumers and how those consumers interact
with the technology. Due to the rising growth the wearable
technology and health app industry, it is important that we have a
general understanding of what direction the media is driving
consumers. Whether the consumers use the technology for health
reasons or fashion is ultimately up to them. But it is important
for scholars in the field of Communication to understand the
various ways in which the media has influenced consumers.
From the results of this research project, it is worth taking
note of a few inferences drawn from the data. Overall, many people
do not use wearable trackers or apps on a regular basis and while
there are multiple brands of wearable trackers, Fitbit is the most
purchased of them all. Furthermore, while one might assume the
gender distribution might lean one way or the other, the
distribution was about equal.
Confirming the social media influence on consumer’s purchases,
the results from this study showed a correlation between the
advertisements, blog posts, and other posts on social media, and
the purchases of apps and trackers. Lastly, the price of the
tracker, size, and features was shown to have impact on the
purchasing of wearable fitness technology.
From this project as a whole, it is intended that other
researchers studying this field will continue the research and gain
larger, more in-depth results about the influence of the mass media
on wearable fitness technology. For suggestions on possible ways to
further the research and increase accuracy of future research,
consult the “Limitations & Future Research Suggestions” section
of this report.
Appendix A
Data Charts
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6
Figure 7
Figure 8
Figure 9
Figure 10
Figure 11
Figure 12
Figure 13
Figure 14
Appendix B
Questionnaire
Activity Trackers & Health Apps
You are being asked to participate in a study about the media’s
influence on fitness apps and wearable technology, being conducted
by Chris Brown, a Queens University of Charlotte student under the
supervision of Dr. Daina Nathaniel, in the Communication
department/school. Please know that all responses are anonymous and
will be kept confidential. Please do not write your name or any
other identifying information anywhere on the questionnaire. You
may skip any items you do not wish to answer and may stop at any
time without penalty. By completing this questionnaire you are
giving your consent to be a part of this research. Thank you for
your time. Trackers & Health Apps
1. Are you currently using, or have used in the past, any
activity trackers or health apps? (i.e. Fitbit)
Yes
No
2. On average, how long do you typically exercise for?
30-60 minutes
60-90 minutes
90 minutes or more
3. Do you always have your activity tracker on you?
Yes
No
4. How often do you look at fitness apps on your smartphone?
1-2 times per week
3-4 times per week
Everyday
5. Thinking back on how you heard of the activity tracker you
purchased, which media outlets had an influence on your
decision?
TV shows (Dr. Oz, Good Morning America, etc.)
Health websites and blogs
Advertisements in gyms
Celebrities endorsing the product
6. The price of the activity tracker influenced my purchase.
Strongly AgreeSomewhat AgreeNo OpinionSomewhat DisagreeStrongly
Disagree
7. The features and size of the tracker helped persuade my
purchase.
Strongly AgreeSomewhat AgreeNo OpinionSomewhat DisagreeStrongly
Disagree
8. There are advertisements on TV for activity trackers and
health related apps.
Strongly AgreeSomewhat AgreeNo OpinionSomewhat DisagreeStrongly
Disagree
9. Social media is a primary advertisement outlet for activity
trackers.
Strongly AgreeSomewhat AgreeNo OpinionSomewhat DisagreeStrongly
Disagree
10. I bought the tracker I have to be more fashionable.
Strongly AgreeSomewhat AgreeNo OpinionSomewhat DisagreeStrongly
Disagree
11. Social networks and friends influenced my purchase
decision.
Strongly AgreeSomewhat AgreeNo OpinionSomewhat DisagreeStrongly
Disagree
12. I primarily use my tracker to keep track of daily activities
and to keep track of goal progress.
Strongly AgreeSomewhat AgreeNo OpinionSomewhat DisagreeStrongly
Disagree
13. What brand of activity tracker do you own?
14. Please indicate your age:
18-24 years old
25-34 years old
35-44 years old
45 and up
15. Please indicate your gender:
Female
[Type text][Type text][Type text]
2
TECHNO FIT
Male
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