Fitbit® Feasibility, Acceptability, and Utility for Research among Pediatric Cancer Survivors Open Access
Howell, Kristen (Spring 2018)
Published
Abstract
Pediatric cancer survival rates are increasing. The growing survivor population is at an increased risk of death due not only to cancer-related causes but also to chronic conditions such as diabetes or cardiovascular disease. Physicians and parents are likely to not emphasize the importance of physical activity due to potential treatment-related cardiac damage; however, regular physical activity is important for a long, healthy life. Physical activity tends to be expensive and time consuming to monitor, but novel technology such as wearable fitness trackers might be the solution to monitoring activity in this survivor population.
This study used Fitbit® Flex™ devices and online questionnaires through a six-month study on a cohort of teenage childhood cancer survivors (n=30) from the Aflac Cancer Survivor Program based out of Atlanta, GA. The aims of this study were to assess the feasibility, acceptability, and utility of using a wearable fitness tracker to conduct research among childhood cancer survivors.
The Fitbit® devices were used for 22.7% of the study period. Three types of Fitbit® users were identified – habitual, occasional, and initial. We did not observe a significant difference between the three types in the average number of steps taken per day or the average number of active minutes performed per day. We found that pediatric cancer survivors with a lower initial BMI z-score were 7.1 times likely to use their Fitbit® habitually compared to those with a higher initial BMI z-score (p<0.05). We also found that habitual users found the Fitbit® to be more helpful in monitoring their exercise habits and to lead a more active lifestyle than those who were not habitual users. Additionally, we found a weak positive correlation between patient-reported physical activity and Fitbit®-captured activity.
Overall, teenage childhood cancer survivors are not likely to use the Fitbit® consistently enough to gather quality physical activity data. Those that used the devices habitually had lower BMIs compared to those who did not use the devices habitually. In future studies, it will be necessary to cultivate more participant engagement to ensure more accurate physical activity records.
Table of Contents
BACKGROUND ........................................................................................................ 1
METHODS ................................................................................................................ 5
RESULTS ................................................................................................................. 11
DISCUSSION .......................................................................................................... 16
REFERENCES ......................................................................................................... 21
TABLES .................................................................................................................. 28
FIGURES ................................................................................................................. 33
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