Are individuals with disabilities using wearable devices? A secondary data analysis of 2017 BRFSS

Abstract

Purpose

The study aims to investigate the prevalence of individuals with disabilities who reported using wearable devices, to examine the association between wearable device usage and disability status, and to determine the characteristic of individuals with disabilities associated with wearable device usage using the 2017 Behavioural Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) through secondary data analysis.

Materials and methods

Data from the 2017 BRFSS of eight states were used in the analysis. Descriptive analysis, chi-square analysis, and multivariable logistic regressions were performed. Subsample analyses were also conducted for individuals with disabilities and different types of disability, including visual impairments, hearing impairments, cognitive disability, independent living disability, self-care disability, and mobility disability on wearable device usage.

Results

14.6% (95% CI [11.7, 17.5]) of participants with disabilities were wearable device users. Individuals with disabilities were .63 (95% CI [.48, .83], p < 0.001) and .67 (95% CI [.50, .90], p = 0.007) times the odds of individuals without disabilities in using wearable devices, respectively, according to unadjusted and adjusted logistic regression. Individuals with mobility disability were less likely to utilise wearable devices than their counterparts. Among individuals with disabilities, those who were age 65 years or older had a lower odds of using wearable devices (OR = .55, 95% CI [0.35, 0.85), p = 0.007).

Conclusion

Individuals with disabilities are using wearable devices in collecting various health-related information. Further research is needed to determine reasons why individuals with disabilities are not using wearable devices and how individuals with disabilities are using wearable devices.

IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION

• Wearable devices can track various health-related information such as physical activity levels, sleep patterns, calories intakes, and chronic health conditions.

• Using nationally represent data, individuals with disabilities have access and utilise wearable devices in free living setting.

• Compare to individuals without disabilities, individuals with disabilities are less likely to utilise wearable devices in free living setting.

• Further research is needed to determine the accessibility of wearable devices for individuals with disabilities and its usage in rehabilitation setting.

Keywords:

• Self-monitor
• wearable technology
• fitness tracker
• physical activity tracker
• epidemiology
• quantified self

Disclosure statement

The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are openly available in Centres for Disease Control and Prevention webpage on BRFSS at https://www.cdc.gov/brfss/index.html.