Association between wearable device usage and engagement of strength activity among people with and without disabilities

Abstract

There is a lack of literature examining the engagement in strength activities of people with disabilities (PWD) using and not using wearable devices. The objectives of the current study were to determine the prevalence of strength activity engagement among wearable device users with disabilities, and to compare strength activity engagement between wearable device users and non-users with and without disabilities. Wearable device users and non-users with and without disabilities from eight states of the CDC’s 2017 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance were included in the analysis. Linear regression was used to examine the association between wearable device use and disability status and the interaction term for frequency of strength activity per week, while logistic regression was used to determine the association between the two variables and the interaction term for strength activity engagement and meeting strength activity guidelines. 7055 wearable device users and non-users with and without disabilities were included in the analysis. No interaction effects were found between wearable device use and disability status. In unadjusted logistic regressions, wearable device users were more likely to engage in strength activity (OR = 1.16, 95% CI [1.16, 2.20]) and meet strength activity guidelines (OR = 1.50, 95% CI [1.07, 2.09]), whereas PWDs were less likely to engage in strength activity (OR = 0.57, 95% CI [0.44, 0.75]) and meet strength activity guidelines (OR = 0.72, 95% CI [0.53, 0.98]). The use of wearable devices could lead to engagement in strength activity. However, further research is needed to determine its effectiveness in PWD.