The Use of Wearable Sensors to Promote Physical Activities in the Smart City

Background: Despite the growing body of research on mHealth, particularly apps, their effectiveness in improving health outcomes remains uncertain. However, their versatility, adaptability, and potential for long-term prevention highlight them as valuable tools to support active aging strategies across different life stages. Understanding their role in health management and improvement is crucial for optimising their adoption and impact in different populations. Methods: The five studies investigated 1) the effectiveness of mobile apps for health in healthy adults (systematic review), 2) if and how young adults use apps and wearables for health purposes (cross-sectional web-survey conducted in Italy), 3) young adults’ experience of use of apps and wearables for health purposes (focus groups study), 4) adults’ experience of use of apps and wearables for health purposes (interview study) and 5) older adults’ ideal active ageing intervention supported by technology (interview study). Results: Study 1 could not assess the effectiveness of apps for healthy adults for improving physical activity and/or diet due to the poor methodological quality of the available studies. Study 2 reported that while half of the sample used apps or wearables for health, mostly for monitoring rather than improving health variables, daily use was common. It also highlighted the most important characteristics in apps and wearables for young adults. Study 3 revealed that young adults view apps and wearables as important for health management and prefer an integrated tool that addresses both medical and non-medical aspects. However, some negative experiences emerged, indicating areas for improvement. Study 4 showed that adults use these technologies for both monitoring and health improvement, but reported occasional stress related to their use. Study 5 outlined older adults' ideal active aging intervention, providing practical guidelines for designing multidimensional programs that incorporate wearable devices. Conclusions: Health apps and wearables are widely used and valued across different life stages, with varying preferences and applications. Their potential to support lifelong active aging interventions, starting in young adulthood with a preventive approach and evolving to meet changing needs, makes them promising tools for public health. Future research should assess the long-term adoption and effectiveness of these technologies across different age groups to better tailor them to individual and societal needs.