The Effects of Wearable Health Technology on Cancer Survivors’ Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior, and Weight: A Meta-Analysis

Wearable health technology (WHT) has been suggested as a health intervention in preventing or reducing health risk factors in clinical populations. Cancer survivors exhibit risk factors prior to cancer diagnosis and acquire comorbidities as a result of their treatment. These conditions may increase likelihood of cancer recurrence and reduce quality of life by inhibiting survivors’ physiological function and predisposing them to other maladies. Several studies have suggested WHTs as an intervention in mitigating these risks. However, there lacks a comprehensive review of the current evidence to determine the efficacy of WHT interventions. Thus, a literature search of WHT studies within cancer survivors was conducted and a meta-analysis was performed on the four most commonly reported health outcomes, namely weight, step count, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and sedentary time. A meta-analysis was performed to determine if positive or negative effects between WHT and these outcomes exist and what the effect sizes were. Twelve papers met inclusion criteria. Of the ten studies that measured MVPA, a moderate positive effect was found between WHT interventions and weekly MVPA. Five studies measured average daily step count and from this, a weak positive effect was found between WHT interventions and step count increase. Five studies measured sedentary time and revealed a weakly positive correlation between WHT use and increased sedentary time, though this data was unreliable. Lastly, three studies measured weight and revealed a weak negative effect between WHT use and weight, however, this was also limited due to the small sample. Thus, this review validates the use of WHT to improve MVPA and possibly step count in cancer survivors while it appears WHTs have a lesser impact on weight and potentially an opposite effect on sedentary time

Effect of Wearable Technology-Based Physical Activity Interventions on Breast Cancer Survivors’ Physiological, Cognitive, and Emotional Outcomes: A Systematic Review

This systematic review synthesized all randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and controlled trials examining the effects of wearable health technology-based physical activity interventions on physiological, cognitive, and emotional outcomes in breast cancer survivors (BCS). We searched NCBI, Academic Search Premier, EMBASE, Web of Science, PubMed, and Medline from inception to March 2021. We included studies which: (1) were RCTs or controlled trials ≥8 weeks in duration; (2) were peer-reviewed and published in English; (3) sampled BCS in full remission and had not received treatment for at least six months; (4) utilized wearable health technology (e.g., Fitbit, Garmin xGC30); and (5) examined physiological, emotional, and/or cognitive outcomes. Sixty-six studies were identified and 14 were included in the review. Most of the observed effects were statistically significant and those which employed multi-component interventions generally yielded greater effects. Overall, the use of wearable health technology reduced sedentary behavior and increased moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity. Further, increased moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity was observed to be associated with increased perceived cognition and higher cognitive performance. Multiple studies also observed significant improvements in attitude, worry, and anxiety. Overall, findings suggested wearable health technology-based physical activity interventions to be effective for improving physical activity, attitude, and cognitive functions and for reducing sedentary behavior, anxiety, and worry in BCS