Guo Enkai, He Shiyi, Zheng Lan
College of P.E, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China.
Hunan Provincial Research Base for Public Service of Sports, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China.
Front Public Health. 2025 Apr 25;13:1578063. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1578063. eCollection 2025.
With the aging of the population, health issues among older people have drawn increasing societal attention. The rapid development of intelligent technology provides innovative solutions to addressing these challenges. This study aims to explore the impact of smart wearable devices on older people's health outcomes while discussing the mechanism of physical exercise, to provide a new perspective and exercise strategy for maximizing the positive role of smart wearable devices in older adult health management.
Utilizing data from the China Longitudinal Aging Social Survey (CLASS), this study analyzed 21,881 samples. Descriptive statistics was computed using SPSS, followed by bidirectional fixed effect model analysis and intermediate effect test via Stata.
Bidirectional fixed effect model showed that the use of smart wearable devices could significantly improve the physical health of the older people ( = 0.325, < 0.001). The effect was more significant in those aged 70 years or older ( = 0.385, < 0.001), those without chronic diseases ( = 0.590, < 0.001), and those living with their children ( = 0.452, < 0.001). The mediating mechanism test results reported that exercise frequency ( = 0.037, < 0.05) and exercise duration ( = 0.063, < 0.001) were two positive mediating pathways for smart wearable devices to affect the health of the older adults.
This study reveals the positive impact of smart wearable devices on the physical health level of the older people. To maximize benefits, we propose a dual-path optimization strategy: (1) Develop age-appropriate functions and use methods to improve device accessibility among older adult people, and (2) Generate a personalized exercise prescription for the older people to promote regular physical activity and exercise habits to improve their health level.
随着人口老龄化，老年人的健康问题日益受到社会关注。智能技术的快速发展为应对这些挑战提供了创新解决方案。本研究旨在探讨智能可穿戴设备对老年人健康结果的影响，同时讨论体育锻炼的机制，为最大限度发挥智能可穿戴设备在老年人健康管理中的积极作用提供新视角和锻炼策略。
本研究利用中国老年社会追踪调查（CLASS）的数据，分析了21881个样本。使用SPSS进行描述性统计，随后通过Stata进行双向固定效应模型分析和中介效应检验。
双向固定效应模型显示，使用智能可穿戴设备可显著改善老年人的身体健康（β = 0.325，p < 0.001）。在70岁及以上的老年人中（β = 0.385，p < 0.001）、无慢性病的老年人中（β = 0.590，p < 0.001）以及与子女同住的老年人中（β = 0.452，p < 0.001），这种影响更为显著。中介机制检验结果表明，运动频率（β = 0.037，p < 0.05）和运动时长（β = 0.063，p < 0.001）是智能可穿戴设备影响老年人健康的两条正向中介途径。
本研究揭示了智能可穿戴设备对老年人身体健康水平的积极影响。为了最大化益处，我们提出了双路径优化策略：（1）开发适合老年人的功能和使用方法，以提高设备在老年人中的可及性；（2）为老年人制定个性化运动处方，以促进规律的体育活动和锻炼习惯，从而提高他们的健康水平。
