JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Unhealthy behaviors such as physical inactivity, a sedentary lifestyle, and unhealthful eating remain highly prevalent, posing formidable challenges in efforts to improve cardiovascular health. While traditional interventions to promote healthy lifestyles are both costly and effective, wearable trackers, especially Fitbit devices, can provide a low-cost alternative that may effectively help large numbers of individuals become more physically fit and thereby maintain good health status.

Objective:

The objectives of this meta-analysis are: (i) to assess the effectiveness of interventions that incorporate a Fitbit device for healthy lifestyle outcomes (e.g., steps, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, weight), and (ii) to identify which additional intervention components or study characteristics are the most effective at improving healthy lifestyle outcomes.

Methods:

A systematic review was conducted, searching the following databases from 2007 to 2019: MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and CENTRAL (Cochrane). Studies were included if: (i) they were randomized controlled trials (RCTs), (ii) the intervention involved the use of a Fitbit device, and (iii) the reported outcomes were related to healthy lifestyles. The main outcome measures are related to physical activity, sedentary behavior, and weight. All the studies were assessed for risk of bias using Cochrane criteria. A random-effects meta-analysis was conducted to estimate the treatment effect of interventions that included a Fitbit device compared with the control group. We also conducted subgroup and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analyses (fsQCA) to further disentangle the effects of intervention components.

Results:

Our final sample comprises 41 articles reporting the results of 37 studies. For Fitbit-based interventions, we found a statistically significant increase in daily step count (mean difference [MD] 927.35; 95% CI 363.99 to 1,490.71; P=.001), and moderate and vigorous physical activity (MD 6.17; 95% CI 2.81 to 9.52; P<.001), a significant decrease in weight (MD -1.45; 95% CI -2.63 to -0.27; P=.02) and a nonsignificant decrease in objectively-assessed and self-reported sedentary behavior (MD -10.62; 95% CI -35.50 to 14.27; P=.40; SMD -0.11; 95% CI -0.48 to 0.26; P=.56, respectively). In general, included studies were at low risk for bias, except for performance bias. Subgroup analyses and fsQCA demonstrated that, in addition to the effects of the Fitbit devices, setting activity goals was the most important intervention component.

Conclusions:

The use of Fitbit devices in interventions has the potential to promote healthy lifestyles in terms of physical activity and weight. Fitbit devices may be useful to health professionals for patient monitoring and support.