Young adults’ perceptions and experiences in using mobile apps and wearables for health: a qualitative study with public involvement

BACKGROUND: Understanding how young people interact with health apps and wearables might help develop innovative strategies to support health management and improvement adopting a technology they are already familiar with. This study aimed to investigating the user experience of young adults who use apps or wearables for health purposes. METHODS: A qualitative study using focus groups was conducted. Participants were eligible if they were between 18 and 26 years old and used an app or wearable to track at least one health variable (e.g., physical activity, diet, mental health). Transcripts were analysed using Reflexive Thematic Analysis (RTA) to identify themes grounded in the data. RESULTS: Sixteen people participated (mean age: 24.3 ± 1.9 years; men/women: 9/7) and five themes were generated: I) My health easily all in one place: one click away; II) Exploring and learning health through catchy, personalised and user-friendly graphics; III) From monitoring my variables to empowerment: road to healthy habits; IV) Collecting achievements and connecting with others to improve my health; and V) Be careful in managing and giving too much weight to health variables!. CONCLUSIONS: Young adults viewed apps and wearables as useful and powerful tools for managing their health, helping them gain a clear overview of different health aspects and how they interact. Features such as user-friendliness, personalisation, and achievement-based feedback were widely appreciated. In contrast, educational and community features were mentioned less often. Preventive and emergency functions were also valued, even among this young population. Despite these benefits, participants raised concerns about data accuracy and the potential negative impact of overly detailed information on people who are sensitive to tracking.