Using phone-based activity monitors to promote physical activity in older adults: A pilot study

Physical inactivity is a leading risk factor in a number of chronic diseases. Older adults are at the highest risk because they are the least inactive of all age groups. Smartphone-based intervention techniques present the opportunity to support cost-effective behavioral intervention to promote physical activity. We present a pilot study that examines the feasibility of utilizing the “Strive” smartphone-based passive sensing application to motivate older adults to stay active. Eight participants aged between 50 and 80 years used the application over a period of three weeks to track their daily activity habits. Participants carried smartphones to track daily activities and introspected about their lifestyles as part of weekly check-in sessions. The value that 24×7 smartphone-based sensors provided to this population was an easy-to-use and always available companion to promote awareness about their physical activity. The main motivations for participants to stay active were to prevent loss of personal health due ageing and the need to stay young. Participants increased their daily physical activity by 15% over the first week. This increase was mainly driven by the younger participants. Participants were willing to bear the inconvenience of physical activity tracking due a phone if it meant that they would obtain a better report of their daily physical activities. Any application that tracks physical activity using smartphones needs to address the wearability of the phone.