Adherence with physical activity monitoring wearable devices in a community-based population: observations from the Washington, DC, Cardiovascular Health and Needs Assessment

Wearable mobile health (mHealth) technologies offer approaches for targeting physical activity (PA) in resourcelimited, community-based interventions. We sought to explore user characteristics of PA tracking, wearable technology among a community-based population within a health and needs assessment. In 2014-2015, we conducted the Washington, D.C., Cardiovascular Health and Needs Assessment in predominantly African-American churches among communities with higher obesity rates and lower household incomes. Participants received a mHealth PA monitor and wirelessly uploaded PA data weekly to church data collection hubs. Participants (n = 99) were 59 +/- 12 years, 79% female, and 99% African-American, with amean bodymass index of 33 +/- 7 kg/m(2). Eighty-onepercent of participants uploaded PA data to the hub andwere termed PA device users. Though PA device users were more likely to report lower household incomes, no differences existed between device users and non-users for device ownership or technology fluency. Findings suggest that mHealth systems with awearable device and data collection hubmay feasibly target PA in resource-limited communities.