Self-monitoring of health indicators and lifestyle of LUHS students using smart technologies

Background. In order to improve health and lifestyle, it is necessary to monitor their indicators. Smart technologies are currently being developed rapidly. They are used in various areas of health, including for health and lifestyle monitoring. Research on the use of smart technologies in various populations is important. Aim. The aim of the study was to assess LUHS students' self-monitoring of health indicators and lifestyle using smart technologies by assessing the variety of smart devices used by LUHS students for health and lifestyle monitoring and the reasons for their choice, as well as by assessing the students' self-monitoring of health indicators and lifestyle using various smart devices, and the association with their health self-assessment. Methods. Quantitative cross-sectional study with an online anonymous questionnaire was conducted in 2023. Students of Lithuanian University of Health Sciences (LUHS) from seven faculties participated in the study (n = 296). Statistical analysis was performed using IBM SPSS Statistics 29.0. The chi-square test or Fisher's Exact test was used to compare categorical variables. Results were considered statistically significant when p < 0.05. Results. The majority of respondents (91.6%) use smart technologies to self-monitoring of lifestyle and more than half respondents (55.7%) use them to monitor health indicators. Students use smartphones (82.1%), smart watches (41.6%), and smart fitness trackers (10.8%). 35.7% of respondents have been using them for more than 3 years, others — less. The main reasons to use smart technologies for health and lifestyle monitoring are curiosity (59.1%) and the desire to live a healthy life (39.9%). Students most often (55.4%) monitor their pulse, 33.1% monitor their heart rate, and 22.0% monitor their blood oxygen levels. More than one-third of the surveyed students reported improved health indicators after starting to monitor them using smart devices for the muscular and skeletal system (34.8%), the nervous system/emotional health (31.1%), and almost a third noticed a positive impact on the cardiovascular (27.7%) and respiratory (28.7%) systems. When monitoring their lifestyle, respondents most often indicated that they use smart devices to monitor steps taken (86.5 percent) and distance travelled (73.0 percent). Slightly less often — for calorie counting (41.6%) and sleep monitoring (41.2%). It was found that the majority of respondents (73.3%) indicated that using smart devices and apps significantly improved their physical activity. Almost a half of respondents (44.5%) noticed improved nutrition after they started using smart devices. Conclusions. Most of LUHS students surveyed the use smart technologies to monitor their lifestyle. The most commonly used device for this is a smartphone. Respondents using smart technologies notice improved lifestyle and health.