Smartwatches like the Apple Watch these days have a plethora of health features such as fitness tracking, blood oxygen monitoring, and heart rate monitoring, among others. It has become an important part of many people’s lives and has even saved some. It is also becoming an important research tool as organizations analyze data from these health monitoring functions.
A new study from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has revealed disparities in smartwatch and wearable technology ownership. The study found that those who own smartwatches tend to be young, white, educated, and wealthy.
The researchers conducted the study as part of the NIH All of Us research program. These efforts are aimed at creating a representative health database of the United States. The goal of the team is to purposefully include underrepresented groups in medical research.
The study found that participants who submitted health data directly from Fitbit were from a whiter and wealthier demographic than the rest. This prompted the team to interview more than 1,000 patients at six federal medical centers to find out why. Some of the members of this team wrote about this survey in STAT:
[R]Respondents who were interested in using the activity monitor made it clear that their lack of use was not because they did not want to use the devices or provide data for research. They cited price barriers (49%), the need for support when using devices (19%), and a lack of clear understanding of the potential value of these devices for their health (16%).
People want smart watches
About 40% of respondents identify as Hispanic, 36% as non-Hispanic black or African American, and 15% as non-Hispanic white. 68% speak English and 32% speak Spanish. When asked if participants would like a fitness tracker, 58% answered yes, 20% answered no, and the rest did not answer.
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It’s not that people who don’t meet these criteria don’t want smartwatches, it’s that these devices are too expensive. Because the high cost of wearable devices discourages underrepresented groups, they are excluded from medical research related to these devices.
As health features continue to appear in wearables, they are becoming an important tool in human health and medical research. As more underrepresented groups gain access to this technology, it will help provide more accurate and clear data to different communities so that everyone can benefit.
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