Motivation for physical activity and physcial activity engagement in current and former wearable fitness tracker users: A mixed-methods examination

Wearable fitness trackers (WFTs), like Fitbits, are intended to support physical activity (PA) engagement. It is unclear, however, how WFTs impact both PA and motivation for PA as described by the Self-Determination Theory (SDT). This study examined PA and PA motivation in former and current WFT users using a mixed methods design, consisting of a survey and semi-structured interviews. The survey included items from the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) to assess PA and Behavioral Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire version 3 (BREQ-3) to assess motivation. A sample of 288 participants (173 current vs. 115 former users) completed the survey and 17 participants (10 current vs. 7 former users) participated in interviews. Quantitative results indicated that current and former users did not differ in measures of PA. Current users scored higher on introjected regulation and identified regulation for PA. Qualitative results indicated that current users used their device to collect data, rather than for motivation. Former users doubted the device accuracy, and reported feeling guilty when they did not meet WFT goals. We also provide hypothesized models of factors that contribute to persistent WFT use and factors that contribute to abandonment as they pertain to PA motivation and engagement.

Automated summary

The study found that wearable fitness trackers did not have a significant impact on physical activity itself, with current users using the device more for data collection rather than motivation, while former users were skeptical about the device's accuracy.