Abstract
BackgroundThe health and well-being of college students has garnered widespread attention and concern in recent years. At the same time, the expansion and evaluation of digital technologies has grown in recent years for different target populations.ObjectiveThis protocol aims to describe a pilot feasibility study on wearables to assess student interest and to gather baseline data from college freshmen, for the academic year 2019 to 2020.MethodsAll full-time college freshmen residing in a single residence hall were eligible to participate. Study invitations were sent by post and email 5 weeks prior to move-in. Web-based enrollment and in-person attendance at study orientation sessions were mandatory. We provided the incoming freshmen with a wearable and study app. Wearable data and weekly survey data will be collected through the study app and analyzed. We have collected demographic, enrollment, and attrition data and the number and type of support requests from students.ResultsThe planning phase of the WearDuke initiative was completed in 2018 to 2019, and the pilot study was launched in July 2019. Of the 175 students invited, 120 enrolled and 114 started the study; 107 students remained active participants till the end of the fall semester. For Apple Watch participants (the majority of study population), weekly survey completion rates ranged from 70% (74/106) to 96% (95/99).ConclusionsHalfway through the pilot, we noticed that the initiative has been received positively by the students with minimal attrition. The short- and long-term benefits may be substantial for students, the campus, the utilization of health services, and long-term health.International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)DERR1-10.2196/16474
Highlights
BackgroundThe transition to college can be an emotionally challenging time, with new experiences, pressures, choices, and independence [1,2,3,4,5]
Tracking behavior change through tools, such as apps, has been linked to improved well-being [7,8], there is limited research on the use of wearable technologies for improving well-being, among college students who are transitioning to adulthood
We only developed an iPhone Operating System app given that a large proportion of incoming students were estimated to have Apple iPhones based on the current student body data (>90%)
Summary
BackgroundThe transition to college can be an emotionally challenging time, with new experiences, pressures, choices, and independence [1,2,3,4,5]. Apps and tethered devices can serve as useful tools to track daily habits and health-related variables These data and tools can help identify trends over the week or a semester and utilize reminders, sleep goals, and other types of alerts to prompt behavior change. Tracking behavior change through tools, such as apps, has been linked to improved well-being [7,8], there is limited research on the use of wearable technologies for improving well-being, among college students who are transitioning to adulthood. To this end, we are launching a scalable, hybrid population health, research, and educational initiative focused on an undergraduate student population.
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