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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Digit. Health
Sec. Human Factors and Digital Health
Volume 6 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fdgth.2024.1400369
This article is part of the Research Topic Physical Fitness via Advanced Technology - ICT and AI Solutions for Healthier Ageing View all 3 articles

Smartwatch Step Counting: Impact on Daily Step Count Estimation Accuracy

Provisionally accepted
Peter Düking Peter Düking 1*Jana Strahler Jana Strahler 2Andre Forster Andre Forster 3Birgit Sperlich Birgit Sperlich 4Billy Sperlich Billy Sperlich 5
  • 1 Department of Sports Science and Movement Pedagogy, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany, Braunschweig, Germany
  • 2 University of Freiburg, Sportpsychology, Institute of Sport and Sport Science, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
  • 3 Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Institute of Psychology, Würzburg, Germany
  • 4 Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Institute for Sport Sciences, Würzburg, Germany
  • 5 Integrative and Experimental Exercise Science, Department of Sport Science, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany, Würzburg, Bavaria, Germany

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    The effect of displayed step count on smartwatches on the accuracy of daily step count estimation and the potential underlying psychological factors have not been revelead. We The study aimed aim i) To investigate whether the counting and reporting of daily steps by a smartwatch increases the daily step count estimation accuracy and ii) to elucidating underlying psychological factors.Methods: 34 healthy male and female participants wore a smartwatch for four weeks. In week 1 (Baseline), 3 (Follow-Up 1), and 8 (Follow-Up 2), number of smartwatch displayed steps were blinded.In week 2 (Intervention), number of steps was not blinded. During Baseline, Follow-Ups 1 and 2, participants were instructed to estimate their number of steps four times/day. During a 4-wk wash-out period between Follow-Ups 1 and 2, no feedback was provided. The Body Awareness Questionnaire (BAQ) and the Body Responsiveness Questionnaire (BRQ) were used to elucidate psychological facets of the assumed estimation accuracy.Results: Mean absolute percentage error between the participants' steps count estimation and measured steps counts were 29.49% (at Baseline), 0.54% (Intervention), 11.89% (Follow-Up 1), and 15.14% (Follow-Up 2), respectively. There was a significant effect between Baseline and Follow-Up1 (t(61.7)=3.433, P<.001) but not Follow-Up 1 and Follow-Up 2 (t(60.3)=-0.288, P =.774). Only the BRQ subscale "suppression of bodily sensations" showed to be significant at the Baseline (P =0.012; Bonferroni adjusted p=0.048) as a factor influencing step count estimation accuracy.Counting and reporting of daily steps with a smartwatch allows to improve the subjective estimation accuracy of daily step counts, with a stabilizing effect for at least 6 weeks. Especially individuals who tend to suppress their bodily sensations are less accurate in their daily step count estimation before the intervention.

    Keywords: innovation, SmartWatch, Technology, wearable, eHealth, mHealth

    Received: 13 Mar 2024; Accepted: 18 Jul 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Düking, Strahler, Forster, Sperlich and Sperlich. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Peter Düking, Department of Sports Science and Movement Pedagogy, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany, Braunschweig, Germany

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.