As the two prime examples of sport light, running and walking have become very popular sports activities in the past decades. There are references in the literature of similarities between both sports, however these parallels have never been studied. In addition, the current digitalisation of society can have important influences on the further diversification of profiles. Data of a large-scale population survey among runners and walkers (n = 4913) in Flanders (Belgium) were used to study their sociodemographic, sports related and attitudinal characteristics, and wearable usage. The results showed that walkers are more often female, older, lower educated, and less often use wearables. To predict wearable usage, sports-related and attitudinal characteristics are important among runners but not among walkers. Motivational variables to use wearables are important to predict wearable usage among both runners and walkers. Additionally, whether or not the runner or walker registers the heart rate is the most important predictor. The present study highlights similarities and differences between runners and walkers. By adding attitudinal characteristics and including walkers this article provides new insights to the literature, which can be used by policymakers and professionals in the field of sport, exercise and health, and technology developers to shape their services accordingly.
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Background: This study investigates patients’ use of eHealth services, their awareness of the availability of these services, and their intention to use them in primary care. It also examines patient characteristics and factors that influence the use of these services. Methods: A cross-sectional design using questionnaires was conducted. Based on the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT), the participants rated the two most common services. Descriptive analyses and linear correlation analyses were performed. A simple linear regression was conducted to identify factors influencing the participants’ intention to use eHealth services. Results: In total, 1203 participants with an average age of 43.7 years were surveyed. The participants’ usage rates varied, with the lowest at 2.4%, for measuring vital signs, and the highest at 47.4%, for booking appointments. The intentions to use the services ranged from 22.5%, for video consultations, to 46.6%, for prescription refill requests. Approximately 20% of the respondents were unaware of each service’s availability. Positive associations were found between all the constructs and the intention to use online services, with a younger age being the most significant factor. Conclusions: The use of and intention to use eHealth services varied greatly. The participants were often unaware of the availability of these services. Promoting the availability and benefits of eHealth services could enhance patient engagement in primary care settings.
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Naast sport- en beweegaanbod en ruimtelijke ordening biedt ook innovatieve technologie nieuwe mogelijkheden om mensen te stimuleren meer te bewegen. Op basis van onderzoeksresultaten en praktijkrealisaties in Amsterdam en Eindhoven worden mogelijkheden die innovatieve technologie kan bieden voor een actieve en sportieve leefstijl en leefomgeving weergegeven. Ook worden voorbeelden gegeven van persoonlijke evidence based hardloop apps en andere interactieve technologieën (zoals beacons en interactieve hardloop en wandelroutes) om beweeggedrag in de openbare ruimte te vergroten.
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In dit review wordt een overzicht gegeven van effect van mobiele applicaties en activity trackers op een gezonde leefstijl. 17 artikelen werden geïncludeerd. De effecten van apps op beweeggedrag lijken positief. Het effect van apps op voeding en gewicht was wisselend. Maar er leek een trend te zijn voor verbetering van het voedingspatroon. Er is nog weinig onderzoek gedaan naar effect van activity trackers op leefstijl, maar eerste resultaten laten een positieve invloed zien op beweeggedrag. Voor apps aanbevolen kunnen worden, is verder onderzoek nodig. Hiervoor is grootschalig onderzoek nodig met uitgebalanceerde controlegroepen en lange termijn follow-up testen.
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Doel Overzicht geven van de literatuur over het effect van smartphone-apps en activiteitsmeters op een gezonde leefstijl. Opzet Systematische review. Methode In PubMed, de Cochrane Library, Embase en CINAHL zochten we naar relevante artikelen. Inclusiecriteria waren: (a) de interventie was een mobiele app of activiteitsmeter; (b) die bewegen en gezonde voeding stimuleerde; (c) bij volwassen mensen met een ongezonde leefstijl die nog geen aandoening hadden; (d) gericht op preventieve gezondheidszorg, gezondheidsbevordering of gezond gedrag; en (e) waarin het effect op fysieke activiteit, voeding of gewicht werd gemeten. Resultaten We includeerden 17 onderzoeken, waarvan 13 met apps en 4 met activiteitsmeters. Het effect van de apps op fysieke activiteit bij mensen met overgewicht of obesitas was in 6 onderzoeken positief en in 3 afwezig. Er was een positief effect op voeding dat in 3 onderzoeken significant en in 2 niet-significant was. Het effect op gewicht was in 6 onderzoeken positief en in 5 afwezig. De bewijskracht van de onderzoeken met apps was matig tot laag. Activiteitsmeters leken fysieke activiteit te kunnen verhogen, maar de kwaliteit van deze onderzoeken was laag. De effecten op gewicht waren tegenstrijdig en de effecten op voeding zijn niet onderzocht. Conclusie Apps hebben een globaal positief effect op de fysieke activiteit. Het effect op voeding en gewicht is onduidelijk, maar de trend is dat ze het voedingspatroon verbeteren. Ook activiteitsmeters kunnen de fysieke activiteit verhogen. Om gebruik van apps en activiteitsmeters te kunnen aanbevelen is echter grootschaliger onderzoek nodig, met beter uitgebalanceerde controlegroepen en een langere follow-upduur.
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This article delves into the acceptance of autonomous driving within society and its implications for the automotive insurance sector. The research encompasses two different studies conducted with meticulous analysis. The first study involves over 600 participants involved with the automotive industry who have not yet had the opportunity to experience autonomous driving technology. It primarily centers on the adaptation of insurance products to align with the imminent implementation of this technology. The second study is directed at individuals who have had the opportunity to test an autonomous driving platform first-hand. Specifically, it examines users’ experiences after conducting test drives on public roads using an autonomous research platform jointly developed by MAPFRE, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, and Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. The study conducted demonstrates that the user acceptance of autonomous driving technology significantly increases after firsthand experience with a real autonomous car. This finding underscores the importance of bringing autonomous driving technology closer to end-users in order to improve societal perception. Furthermore, the results provide valuable insights for industry stakeholders seeking to navigate the market as autonomous driving technology slowly becomes an integral part of commercial vehicles. The findings reveal that a substantial majority (96% of the surveyed individuals) believe that autonomous vehicles will still require insurance. Additionally, 90% of respondents express the opinion that policies for autonomous vehicles should be as affordable or even cheaper than those for traditional vehicles. This suggests that people may not be fully aware of the significant costs associated with the systems enabling autonomous driving when considering their insurance needs, which puts the spotlight back on the importance of bringing this technology closer to the general public.
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Which factors are important for effectiveness of sport- and health-related apps? Results of focus groups with experts.Dallinga, J, van der Werf, J , Janssen, M, Vos, S, Deutekom-Baart de la Faille, M.A huge amount of sport- and health-related smartphone applications (apps) is available in the app stores [1]. These apps are often used by individual recreational athletes participating in running, walking or cycling [2]. Exercise apps ideally should support athletes and encourage them to be physical active in a frequent and healthy way. In order to reach these goals, more insight into the value of different app features is necessary. With this knowledge the health enhancing effects of apps can be improved. Therefore the aim of this study was to identify which features in sport- and health-related apps are important for stimulating and maintaining physical activity. Two focus groups (n=4 & n=3) were organized to identify and rank app features relevant for increasing and maintaining physical activity. These groups were facilitated by two of the authors (JD and JvdW). A nominal group technique was used. Seven behavioral and sport scientists participated in the focus groups consisting of three consultation rounds. In the first round these experts were asked to individually list all factors that they found necessary for increasing and maintaining physical activity. After that, all factors were collected, explained and listed on a white board. In the second round the experts were asked to individually rank the ten most important features. Subsequently, these rankings were discussed groupwise. In the last round, the experts individually made a final ranking of the ten most important features. In addition, they were also asked to appoint a score to each feature (0-100), to indicate the importance.The participants in the focus groups generated 28 and 24 features respectively in round one. After combining these features and checking for duplicates, we reduced the number of features to 25. Factors with highest frequency in the top 10 most important factors were ‘usability’ (n=7), ‘monitoring’ (n=5), ‘fun’ (n=5), ‘anticipating/context awareness’ (n=5) and ‘motivational feedback’ (n=4). Factors with highest importance scores were ‘instructional feedback’ (95.0), ‘motivating/challenging’ (95.0), ‘monitoring’ (92.5), ‘peer rating and peer use’ (92.0) and ‘motivational feedback’ (91.3). In conclusion, based on opinions of behavioral and sport scientists several app features were extracted related to physical activity, with instructional feedback and features that motivate or challenge the athlete as most important. A smart and tailored app may need to be developed that can provide feedback and anticipate on the environment. A feature for monitoring and a fun element may need to be included as well. Interestingly, usability was mentioned by all experts, this seems to be a premise for effectiveness of the app. Based on the results of this study, currently available exercise app rating scales could be revised [3, 4].This research is cofinanced by ‘Regieorgaan SIA’, part of the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) and by the Dutch national program COMMIT.References[1] Yuan S, Ma W, Kanthawala S, Peng W. Keep Using My Health Apps: Discover Users' Perception of Health and Fitness Apps with the UTAUT2 Model. Telemed J E Health. 2015 Sep;21(9):735-41. doi: 10.1089/tmj.2014.0148.[2] Dallinga JM., Janssen M, van der Bie J, Nibbeling N, Krose B, Goudsmit J, Megens C, Baart de la Faille-Deutekom M en Vos S. De rol van innovatieve technologie in het stimuleren van sport en bewegen in de steden Amsterdam en Eindhoven. Vrijtijdstudies. 2016, 34 (2): 43-57.[3] Abraham C, Michie S. A taxonomy of behavior change techniques used in interventions. Health Psychol. 2008 May;27(3):379-87. doi: 10.1037/0278-6133.27.3.379.[4] Stoyanov SR, Hides L, Kavanagh DJ, Zelenko O, Tjondronegoro D, Mani M. Mobile app rating scale: a new tool for assessing the quality of health mobile apps. JMIR Mhealth Uhealth. 2015 Mar 11;3(1):e27. doi: 10.2196/mhealth.3422
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