Abstract
BackgroundMobile phone apps for monitoring and promoting physical activity (PA) are extremely popular among adults. Devices, such as heart rate monitors or sports watches (HRMs/SWs) that work with these apps are at sufficiently low costs to be available through the commercial markets. Studies have reported an increase in PA levels among adults with devices; however, it is unknown whether the phenomena are similar during early adolescence. At a time when adolescents start to develop their own sense of independence and build friendship, the ease of smartphone availability in developed countries needs to be investigated in important health promoting behaviors such as PA.ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to investigate the ownership and usage of PA trackers (apps and HRM/SW) among adolescents in a national representative sample and to examine the association between use of devices and PA levels.MethodsThe Finnish school-aged physical activity (SPA) study consisted of 4575 adolescents, aged 11-, 13-, and 15-years, who took part in a web-based questionnaire during school time about PA behaviors between April and May 2016. Binary logistic regression analyses were used to test the associations between moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and devices, after controlling for gender, age, disability, and family affluence.ResultsPA tracking devices have been categorized into two types, which are accessible to adolescents: (1) apps and (2) HRM/SW. Half the adolescents (2351/4467; 52.63%) own apps for monitoring PA, yet 16.12% (720/4467) report using apps. Fewer adolescents (782/4413; 17.72%) own HRM/SW and 9.25% (408/4413) use HRM/SW. In this study, users of HRM/SW were 2.09 times (95% CI 1.64-2.67), whereas users of apps were 1.4 times (95% CI 1.15-1.74) more likely to meet PA recommendations of daily MVPA for at least 60 min compared with adolescents without HRM/SW or without apps.ConclusionsTo our knowledge, this is the first study that describes the situation in Finland with adolescents using PA trackers and its association with PA levels. Implications of the use of apps and HRM/SW by adolescents are discussed.
Highlights
According to national statistics in Finland, by the age of 16 years, all Finnish adolescents have used the Internet in the past 3 months, 89% use the Internet several times a day, and 96% access the Internet via a mobile phone [1]
The findings of this study suggest that over half of adolescents own mobile phone apps that can function as physical activity (PA) trackers, one in six reported to use the apps
Data on electronic media usage reveals that three quarters of Finnish adolescents aged between 10 and 14 years use mobile phones and social media takes up the majority of their free time [45]
Summary
According to national statistics in Finland, by the age of 16 years, all Finnish adolescents have used the Internet in the past 3 months, 89% use the Internet several times a day, and 96% access the Internet via a mobile phone [1]. In addition to the biological changes to the structure of the body, in developed countries, many young adolescents start to reduce their reliance on their family and start to become independent and engage in social activities [3]. It is a time of life where PA behaviors start to decline, or if sustained, seem to continue into adulthood [4]. Mobile phone apps for monitoring and promoting physical activity (PA) are extremely popular among adults Devices, such as heart rate monitors or sports watches (HRMs/SWs) that work with these apps are at sufficiently low costs to be available through the commercial markets. At a time when adolescents start to develop their own sense of independence and build friendship, the ease of smartphone availability in developed countries needs to be investigated in important health promoting behaviors such as PA
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