It seems like we’re at a crossroad when it comes to figuring out which digital health tools works better for fitness management. Wearable fitness trackers tend to get over-hyped or accused of that. On the other hand, apps don’t have a sterling record for long-term use either. The founder of a mobile health company that developed a financial incentive toolkit to motivate people to set healthy challenges for themselves thinks he has collected some interesting data that could advance that debate.
Jeremy Kreitler, the founder and CEO of Motivate, developed an app-based program which can be used in tandem with fitness wearables like Fitbit, smartphones equipped with motion sensor chips (M7) such as the iPhone 5s model or Moves, which leverages other sensors like GPS. Looking at data from 3,000 customers over a five-month period who took part in the public Beta test, he believes apps used with smartphones, such as iPhone 5s and now the iPhone 6, produced greater adherence and better outcomes than the alternatives.
Motivate developed the mobile service to help participants build healthy habits through a combination of a financial pledge and social encouragement from others as well as data from fitness devices and apps.
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Participants came into the program in a combination of ways, Kreitler said in response to emailed questions. Friends invited some users, others acquired the app from the app store or through advertising. Every participant used a fitness tracker of their choice based on a device or smartphone they owned already and based on personal preference.
Participants also had a choice to take part in a weekly walking or running goal either on their own, in a group with friends and family, or in a public group.
“Some participants were randomly assigned to scenarios where we asked for a credit card up front to secure their pledge (users were only charged if they lost). Others were given free credits to play with to cover their pledge and weren’t asked to put in a credit card up front… they would be prompted only if they lost the initial credits and continued to want to play.”
Kreitler said the company found users of the iPhone 5s were the most likely to stick with challenges after 30 days. Fitbit users, on the other hand, are 9 percent less likely than iPhone 5s/m7 chip users to stick with the same challenge after 30 days. But Moves users were 21 percent less likely than iPhone 5s/m7 chip users with a challenge after 30 days.
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As to the question of why, Kreitler said if users break or lose their phone they tend to replace it immediately compared with a fitness tracker — not so much. “We also believe battery life, and other factors that reduce the friction to participate (like wireless auto-syncing) plays a big factor which is likely why Moves comes in the final spot for challenge participants despite its many other advantages.”
People who chose to do challenges in a group were two times more likely to stick with challenges 30 days later than participants who did solo challenges.
Those who had to pledge their own money up front were three times more likely to stick with challenges 30 days later than people who were not required to pledge their own money up front and played with credits given to them.
