IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v13y2021i13p7017-d579722.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Gamified Wearable Fitness Tracker for Physical Activity: A Comprehensive Literature Review

Author

Listed:
  • Inje Cho

    (Department of Sport Management, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611-8208, USA)

  • Kyriaki Kaplanidou

    (Department of Sport Management, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611-8208, USA)

  • Shintaro Sato

    (Faculty of Sport Sciences, Waseda University, 3-4-1 Higashifushimi, Nishi-Tokyo, Tokyo 202-0021, Japan)

Abstract

Recently, gamified wearable fitness trackers have received greater attention and usage among sport consumers. Although a moderate amount of aerobic physical activity can significantly reduce the risk of many serious illnesses, physical inactivity issues are still prominent. Although wearable fitness trackers have the potential to contribute to physical activity engagement and sustainable health outcomes, there are dwindling engagement and discontinuance issues. Thus, examining its gamification elements and role in physical activity becomes critical. This study examined the gamification elements in wearable fitness trackers and their role in physical activity and sports engagement. A comprehensive literature review yielded 26 articles that empirically measured a variety of gamification features and the effect of the device on physical activity and sports engagement. The study suggests three key gamification themes: goal-based, social-based, and rewards-based gamification that can be a point of interest for future scholars and practitioners. Based on the review, we propose a conceptual framework that embraces motivational affordances and engagement in physical activity and sports.

Suggested Citation

  • Inje Cho & Kyriaki Kaplanidou & Shintaro Sato, 2021. "Gamified Wearable Fitness Tracker for Physical Activity: A Comprehensive Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(13), pages 1-15, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:13:p:7017-:d:579722
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/13/7017/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/13/7017/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ran Zhou & Kyriaki Kaplanidou, 2018. "Building social capital from sport event participation: An exploration of the social impacts of participatory sport events on the community," Sport Management Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 21(5), pages 491-503, December.
    2. Berg, Brennan K. & Warner, Stacy & Das, Bhibha M., 2015. "What about sport? A public health perspective on leisure-time physical activity," Sport Management Review, Elsevier, vol. 18(1), pages 20-31.
    3. Baker, Bradley J. & Zhou, Xiaochen & Pizzo, Anthony D. & Du, James & Funk, Daniel C., 2017. "Collaborative self-study: Lessons from a study of wearable fitness technology and physical activity," Sport Management Review, Elsevier, vol. 20(1), pages 114-127.
    4. Jaeki Song & Junghwan Kim & Kwangmin Cho, 2018. "Understanding users’ continuance intentions to use smart-connected sports products," Sport Management Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 21(5), pages 477-490, December.
    5. Myong-Won Seo & Youngdeok Kim & Hyun Chul Jung & Jung-Hyun Kim & Jung-Min Lee, 2020. "Does Online Social Connectivity Promote Physical Activity in a Wearable Tracker-Based Intervention? A Pilot Randomized Controlled Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(21), pages 1-9, October.
    6. Latham, Gary P. & Locke, Edwin A., 1991. "Self-regulation through goal setting," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 50(2), pages 212-247, December.
    7. Rajagopal, 2014. "The Human Factors," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: Architecting Enterprise, chapter 9, pages 225-249, Palgrave Macmillan.
    8. Bradley J. Baker & Xiaochen Zhou & Anthony D. Pizzo & James Du & Daniel C. Funk, 2017. "Collaborative self-study: Lessons from a study of wearable fitness technology and physical activity," Sport Management Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 20(1), pages 114-127, January.
    9. Brennan K. Berg & Stacy Warner & Bhibha M. Das, 2015. "What about sport? A public health perspective on leisure-time physical activity," Sport Management Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 18(1), pages 20-31, January.
    10. Karla A. Henderson, 2009. "A paradox of sport management and physical activity interventions," Sport Management Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 12(2), pages 57-65, April.
    11. Jaewoon Lee & Dongho Kim & Han-Young Ryoo & Byeong-Seok Shin, 2016. "Sustainable Wearables: Wearable Technology for Enhancing the Quality of Human Life," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(5), pages 1-16, May.
    12. Song, Jaeki & Kim, Junghwan & Cho, Kwangmin, 2018. "Understanding users’ continuance intentions to use smart-connected sports products," Sport Management Review, Elsevier, vol. 21(5), pages 477-490.
    13. Henderson, Karla A., 2009. "A paradox of sport management and physical activity interventions," Sport Management Review, Elsevier, vol. 12(2), pages 57-65, May.
    14. Sara Santini & Flavia Galassi & Johannes Kropf & Vera Stara, 2020. "A Digital Coach Promoting Healthy Aging among Older Adults in Transition to Retirement: Results from a Qualitative Study in Italy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(18), pages 1-16, September.
    15. Zhou, Ran & Kaplanidou, Kyriaki, 2018. "Building social capital from sport event participation: An exploration of the social impacts of participatory sport events on the community," Sport Management Review, Elsevier, vol. 21(5), pages 491-503.
    16. Westmattelmann, Daniel & Grotenhermen, Jan-Gerrit & Sprenger, Marius & Rand, William & Schewe, Gerhard, 2021. "Apart we ride together: The motivations behind users of mixed-reality sports," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 134(C), pages 316-328.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Vera Pedragosa & Salvador Angosto & Celina Gonçalves, 2022. "Validity and Reliability of a Wearable Fitness Technology Scale in Portugal," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(10), pages 1-13, May.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Tu, Rungting & Hsieh, Peishan & Feng, Wenting, 2019. "Walking for fun or for “likes”? The impacts of different gamification orientations of fitness apps on consumers’ physical activities," Sport Management Review, Elsevier, vol. 22(5), pages 682-693.
    2. Sato, Mikihiro & Jordan, Jeremy S. & Funk, Daniel C., 2016. "A distance-running event and life satisfaction: The mediating roles of involvement," Sport Management Review, Elsevier, vol. 19(5), pages 536-549.
    3. Sparvero, Emily S. & Warner, Stacy, 2019. "NFL Play 60: Managing the intersection of professional sport and obesity," Sport Management Review, Elsevier, vol. 22(1), pages 153-166.
    4. Warner, Stacy, 2019. "Sport as medicine: How F3 is building healthier men and communities," Sport Management Review, Elsevier, vol. 22(1), pages 38-52.
    5. Edwards, Michael B. & Rowe, Katie, 2019. "Managing sport for health: An introduction to the special issue," Sport Management Review, Elsevier, vol. 22(1), pages 1-4.
    6. Ine Hugaerts & Jeroen Scheerder & Kobe Helsen & Joris Corthouts & Erik Thibaut & Thomas Könecke, 2021. "Sustainability in Participatory Sports Events: The Development of a Research Instrument and Empirical Insights," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-16, May.
    7. Xin Liao & Dongming Wu & Qianqian Zhang & Ge Han, 2021. "How to Improve Users’ Loyalty to Smart Health Devices? The Perspective of Compatibility," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-17, September.
    8. Surapree Maolikul & Thira Chavarnakul & Somchai Kiatgamolchai, 2019. "Market Opportunity Analysis in Thailand: Case of Individual Power Sources by Thermoelectric-Generator Technology for Portable Electronics," International Journal of Innovation and Technology Management (IJITM), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 16(03), pages 1-24, May.
    9. Rowe, Katie & Sherry, Emma & Osborne, Angela, 2018. "Recruiting and retaining girls in table tennis: Participant and club perspectives," Sport Management Review, Elsevier, vol. 21(5), pages 504-518.
    10. Wang Zhigang & Liu Yingfei & Zhang Jinyao & Liu Xintao & Duan Hongyan & Zhang Lei, 2022. "How Sports Event Volunteer Management Affects Volunteers’ Satisfaction and Engagement: The Mediating Role of Social Capital," SAGE Open, , vol. 12(2), pages 21582440221, June.
    11. Mei-Jung Chen & Wen-Bin Lin & Shao-Wei Yeh & Mei-Yen Chen, 2021. "Constructing Sports Promotion Models for an Accessibility and Efficiency Analysis of City Governments," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-15, August.
    12. Jerónimo García-Fernández & Pablo Gálvez-Ruiz & Moisés Grimaldi-Puyana & Salvador Angosto & Jesús Fernández-Gavira & M. Rocío Bohórquez, 2020. "The Promotion of Physical Activity from Digital Services: Influence of E-Lifestyles on Intention to Use Fitness Apps," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(18), pages 1-15, September.
    13. Wu, Ruijuan & Li, Peiyu, 2023. "Continuance intention to use self-delivery boxes: An empirical study in Tianjin, China," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    14. Wegner, Christine E. & King, Ceridwyn & Jordan, Jeremy S., 2020. "The role of organizational membership in overcoming dissonant sport activity identities," Sport Management Review, Elsevier, vol. 23(3), pages 455-468.
    15. Jeongbeom Hahm & Tae-Ahn Kang & Hirotaka Matsuoka, 2021. "Understanding the Relationship between Past Experience of a Sports Mega-Event and Current Spectatorship: The Mediating Role of Nostalgia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-19, March.
    16. Gutt, Dominik & von Rechenberg, Tobias & Kundisch, Dennis, 2020. "Goal achievement, subsequent user effort and the moderating role of goal difficulty," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 106(C), pages 277-287.
    17. Hayton, John W. & Blundell, Milly & Cullinane, Danny & Walker, Catherine M., 2019. "Building an inclusive cycling “movement”: Exploring the charity-led mobilisation of recreational cycling in communities across Merseyside, England," Sport Management Review, Elsevier, vol. 22(1), pages 21-37.
    18. Tobias Mutter & Dennis Kundisch, 2014. "Goals as Reference Points: Empirical Evidence from a Virtual Reward System," Working Papers Dissertations 19, Paderborn University, Faculty of Business Administration and Economics.
    19. Tracey J. Dickson & Simon Darcy & Chelsey Walker, 2020. "A Case of Leveraging a Mega-Sport Event for a Sport Participation and Sport Tourism Legacy: A Prospective Longitudinal Case Study of Whistler Adaptive Sports," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(1), pages 1-19, December.
    20. Cox, Michele & Dickson, Geoff & Cox, Barbara, 2017. "Lifting the veil on allowing headscarves in football: A co-constructed and analytical autoethnography," Sport Management Review, Elsevier, vol. 20(5), pages 522-534.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:13:p:7017-:d:579722. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.