Tullis, Austen
Validating Basis Peak Activity Tracker and its Influence on Activity Level in Adolescent and Young Adults
Faculty mentor: Neil Peterson, College of Nursing
Introduction
As the population of obesity is increasing, there is greater need to address this health issue (CDC, 2012). Many companies have been developing activity tracking devices to motivate people to be active and live healthy balanced lives. This research project is focused on the product Basis Peak and its influence on activity levels of young adults and adolescents.
Methodology
To conduct this research project, 20 participants wore the Basis Peak and were assessed if their activity increased. Each participant wore an accelerometer for a week to measure their baseline activity level. The accelerometer was worn always except while sleeping, showering, or swimming. This accelerometer acted as a control to then compare the participant during the second week when they wore the Basis Peak and the accelerometer. Participants had to set up their product on their own and then we assessed if the product was user friendly. For the second week the participant recorded their daily results of their steps, calories, and when the participant put on and took off the Basis Peak. After the two weeks the products were returned and the participant took a survey to gather how the participants liked the Basis peak and if they felt that it increased their activity and motivation to be active.
Results
The accelerometer data was downloaded at the end of the first week to measure and determine the amount of movement the participant has during a normal week. Then for the second week a new accelerometer was initiated and the participant wore the accelerometer with the Basis Peak. The data collected during the second week was compared to the first week to determine if the activity increased since the participant was wearing the Basis Peak. The study has not been completed but 15 of the 20 participants have finished the study and there are more research assistants gathering the rest of the data and compiling the data to determine the results with Neil Peterson.
Discussion
From conducting the research, it seems that people were excited about the Basis Peak and it motivated them to do more activities during the second week because they wanted to reach their workout goals and measure their activity. Some participants found the app and device to be easy to set up and use but a majority of the participants had a difficult time activating and syncing the device with their app. This made participants frustrated and made them want to buy a different brand that made a more user friendly health tracker.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the research on the Basis Peak and its effectiveness on motivating increased activity has not been completed but some conclusions can be drawn from the results of the study this far. The product seems to create excitement and increased desire to workout causing the participant to be more active during the second week. Also it is important to make the app associated with the product clear and easy to understand in order to keep participants using the product. More research will need to be collected to determine the actual statistics of the change in activity levels.
Resources
National Location Summary. (2012). Retrieved from http://nccd.cdc.gov/NPAO_DTM/LocationSummary.aspx?statecode=94