The Effect of a Mobile and Wearable Device Intervention on Increased Physical Activity to Prevent Metabolic Syndrome: Observational Study

Abstract

Background: Research on whether wearable devices and app-based interventions can effectively prevent metabolic syndrome (MetS) by increasing physical activity (PA) among middle-aged people living in the rural areas of South Korea remains insufficient. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine whether mobile and wearable device interventions can improve health indicators, including PA, in MetS risk groups in rural South Korea. Methods: In this clinical trial, performed from December 2019 to June 2020, participants were asked to use a wearable device (GalaxyWatch Active1) alone (standard intervention) or the wearable device and mobile app (Yonsei Health Korea) (enhanced intervention). Clinical measures and International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) scores were evaluated initially and after 6 months. The number of steps was monitored through the website. The primary outcome was the difference in PA and clinical measures between the enhanced intervention and standard intervention groups. The secondary outcome was the decrease in MetS factors related to the change in PA. Results: A total of 267 participants were randomly selected, 221 of whom completed the 6-month study. Among the 221 participants, 113 were allocated to the enhanced intervention group and 108 were allocated to the standard intervention group. After 6 months, the body weight and BMI for the enhanced intervention group decreased by 0.6 (SD 1.87) and 0.21 (SD 0.76), respectively (P