Which Activity Tracker Features Matter to You? Older Black Participants Living with Memory Challenges and Care Partner Preferences

Background and Objectives There is a need to understand Black older adults’ perceptions and attitudes about commercial activity trackers to measure and monitor outcomes in clinical trials. We sought to identify the preferred activity tracker features of Black older adults living with memory challenges or dementia and their care partners. Research Design and Methods Utilizing a mixed-methods convergent parallel design, 9 participants were recruited from Eskenazi Health in Indianapolis, Indiana. Data were collected through two focus groups with participants (n = 3) and care partners (n = 4), and a group interview with one participant and two care partners. The focus groups were guided by semi-structured interviews while participants interacted with four common consumer activity tracking devices (Fitbit Inspire 3, Apple Watch SE, Polar Watch, Oura Ring Heritage). Audio recordings were analyzed using the Rapid Identification of Themes from Audio Recordings method. Participants ranked each device based on comfort, convenience, and features (e.g., tracked outcomes of activity, distance/GPS, respiratory rate). Device rankings were summarized with descriptive statistics. Results Participants with memory challenges rated Apple Watch SE highest, with mean scores in comfort (4.3), convenience (3.3), and features (4.3). Care partners rated Fitbit Inspire 3 highest in comfort, and Apple Watch SE for convenience and features. Qualitative findings highlighted physical attributes and comfort (large screen size), convenience (viewing progress), and features (having an emergency button and GPS). Discussion and Implications Findings can guide the selection of activity trackers in future research for this population and may increase wear time and adherence in clinical trials.