Americans Are Increasingly Utilizing Wearable Health Care Devices

A recent study by data analytics firm AnalyticsIQ found that the use of wearable health care devices doubled from 2020 to 2021. Of the 8,000 Americans surveyed, nearly half (46%) reported using at least one type of wearable device in the last six months. Many consumers reported frequent use, with most smartwatch users reporting daily usage. Other popular devices, such as fitness trackers and wearable monitors, were often utilized weekly. This article further explores the trend.

Changing Demographics

Researchers found that technology utilization was greatest among Black and Latino groups and more popular among men than women. This marks a significant shift from previous studies, in which white women were the most common users.

Commonly Used Wearable Health Care Devices

The survey found that smartwatches were the most popular type of wearable biosensor and were used by over one-third (35%) of respondents. Fitbit (42%) and Apple Watch (38%) were the most popular brands, followed by Samsung Galaxy Watch and Garmin Vivoactive.

Wearable health monitors were another type of commonly used technology. Among these sensors, blood pressure devices were the most common (59%), followed by sleep monitors (21%) and electrocardiogram, or ECG, monitors (11%). Fall detectors and glucose, hormone and respiratory monitors were used among 8% of respondents.

Smart workout equipment and wearable health monitors were less frequently used, with fewer than 10% of respondents reporting usage.

Conclusion

U.S. consumers increasingly rely on wearable health care devices to monitor their health and fitness. As the consumer base broadens to new demographics, increased utilization of this technology is likely to continue contributing to industry growth.

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