Explaining the Usage Intentions of Exergames

Different kinds of digital gaming concepts that combine exercise and games, commonly referred to as exergames, have become increasingly common in recent years. These games, which can be used because of both hedonic and utilitarian reasons, have also become a subject of growing interest among academic researchers. However, the factors that explain their usage remain vaguely understood. This study aims to find out what kinds of factors explain the intentions to use exergames as part of one’s exercise. To do this, we first propose a new theoretical model for explaining the usage intentions of exergames and then empirically test this model by analyzing an online survey sample collected from 271…

Can Digital Coaching Boost Your Performance? – A Qualitative Study among Physically Active People

The use of sport and wellness technology devices among athletes is highly popular. At the same time the demand for easy to understand, clear, and personalized information is also growing. Instead of numbers, users need and want solutions. Digital coaching can offer solutions for this by providing valuable training data and offering guidance and instructions on how to improve the training. This exploratory study focuses on the experiences, needs, and wants regarding a digital coach application among physically active people, more precisely crosscountry skiers. We found that the digital coach was perceived to have motivational elements. It was also viewed having potential to increase the awar…

The habits of playing and the reasons for not playing exergames: Age differences in Finland

This study examines the habits of playing and the reasons for not playing digital exercise games (i.e., exergames), concentrating especially on the differences between four different age groups of players and non-players. Exergames can be considered an important and interesting research topic as they can be used to motivate people to do more exercise and, consequently, to improve their health and well-being. There are also potentially significant age differences in how these games are perceived. The study is based on analysing an online survey sample of 3,036 Finnish consumers by using contingency tables, the Pearson’s χ2 tests of independence, and the Cramér’s V coefficients. The results o…

Explaining the Adoption and Habits of Playing Exergames: The Role of Physical Activity Background and Digital Gaming Frequency

Exergaming, a form of digital gaming that combines physical exercise and video games, has become increasingly common in recent years. Exergaming has also become a subject of growing interest among academic researchers. They can be used to motivate people towards more active and a healthier lifestyle. This study examines the adoption and habits of playing exergames, focusing especially on whether and how exercise and gaming backgrounds are associated with the usage of these types of games. The study is based on analyzing an online survey sample of 1,091 respondents through contingency tables, the Pearson’s χ2 tests of independence, and the Cramér’s V coefficients. The results reveal interest…

Exergaming usage : hedonic and utilitarian aspects

There is a growing demand for information systems (IS) that could advance desirable health behaviours among people. While digital gaming has generally been perceived to increase individuals’ sedentary time, gaming can also act as a medium to promote health, for example, by increasing individuals’ levels of physical activity. Exergaming, a form of digital gaming that combines games with physical activity, has been mentioned as potential means of influencing physical activity levels. Previous research on exergaming has been dominated by a very device-centric perspective, focusing more on its technological and physical aspects, than a more user-centric perspective that focuses on the users and…

Promoting Physical Activity and Fitness with Exergames

This updated systematic review of systematic reviews evaluates the effectiveness of exergaming on physical fitness and physical activity. A systematic literature search was conducted on 10 databases, first in 2014 and then repeated in 2016. In total, 1040 and 287 articles were identified. 68 and 31 articles were found potentially relevant and selected for closer screening. The quality of all relevant articles was evaluated using the AMSTAR tool. After the duplicates were removed and inclusion, exclusion, and quality criteria were implemented, six and three articles remained for review. The results indicate that exergaming is generally enjoyed and can evoke some benefits for physical fitness…

Young Elderly and Digital Coaching : A Quantitative Intervention Study on Exercise Self-Efficacy

Sport and wellness technology devices are becoming an increasingly relevant topic when discussing health and wellness. This study focuses on the use of a “digital coach”, within a specific population, young elderly people. This research explored how the use of a digital coach would affect self-efficacy related to physical activity and exercise among young elderly. Thisquantitative intervention study provided a digital coaching device to a group of young elderly people ranging from 61-78 in age for 10-weeks. It was found that a digital coach may be useful for this population, particularly in increasing their perceived confidence in exercising independently. However, the participants’ percept…

Pokémon GO 2016: Exploring Situational Contexts of Critical Incidents in Augmented Reality

Pokémon GO, an augmented reality mobile game, captured the attention of millions of people around the world in July 2016. Various sources from around the globe have reported both positive and negative incidents and outcomes related to the game. Some of the incidents have been particularly remarkable for the player, i.e., critical incidents. A critical incident is a single experience, which a person perceives or remembers as unusually positive or negative. Critical incidents typically are highly influential for human behaviour, and thus, important to study. Playing augmented reality games can take place in varying situational contexts. Situational context includes information that can be use…

Influence of Digital Coaching on Physical Activity : Motivation and Behaviour of Physically Inactive Individuals

Digital wellness solutions and their use have become increasingly common. Respectively, the need to understand their users and usage has increased. A general problem with wellness technologies is that they typically provide feedback through numbers and graphs instead of providing actual guidance. One potential and novel solution for this is digital coaching. This study is one of the first to examine digital coaching features and their influence. We define digital coaching in the context of sports and wellness technology and investigate its influence on physical activity motivation and behaviour of physically inactive individuals. The study is based on thematic analysis of 20 semi-structured…

Wellness Technology Use in Everyday Life: A Diary Study

Digital wellness technologies and their use have become exceedingly popular. More and more people are using them in their everyday lives. Respectively, the need to understand their users and usage has increased. This study aims to deepen the understanding of how people use and perceive wellness technologies in their everyday lives. Empirically, the study is based on diaries collected from 18 participants over a six-week period, which are analysed using thematic analysis. The results show that the use of wellness technologies can positively influence wellness motivation. Further, they can help people to learn more about their own wellness related behaviour and its effects (learning-effect). …

The Effects of Using a Mobile Wellness Application on Physical Activity Levels : A Four-Month Follow-Up Study Among Aged People

Insufficient physical activity threatens people in older age. Thus, finding ways to support a physically active life in the older age is important. Digital wellness technologies have been presented as potential solutions, but in order for these solutions to be effective, research to gain insights on their use among aged people is needed. This study investigated how the use of a mobile wellness application for tracking physical activity affects physical activity levels among aged people. The physical activity levels were measured by using the IPAQ-E. The focus was on the first four months of use. The study was part of a research program in which groups of aged people take into use a mobile w…

Luottamus verkkokaupassa

Tutkielmassa tutkittiin luottamusta ja sen vaikutusta e-kauppaan, luottamuksen rakennetta, muodostumista ja erityispiirteitä e-ympäristössä. Tutkittiin myös, miten yritys voi parantaa e-kaupan luotettavuuden välittymistä. Menetelmänä käytettiin kirjallisuuskatsausta. Tulokset osoittavat luottamuksen olevan monimutkainen ja abstrakti asia, jolle on vaikea löytää yhtä yhteistä määritelmää. Luottamuksen puutteen todettiin olevan suurin e-kaupan kasvua rajoittava tekijä. Luottamuksen suurimmiksi osatekijöiksi todettiin turvallisuus ja yksityisyys. Yritys voi parhaiten vaikuttaa luotettavuutensa välittymiseen brändin, vaatimusten täyttämisen ja verk- kosivuston kautta. Johtopäätöksenä todettiin …

An Extended Study on Training and Physical Exercise in Esports

This chapter is an extended revision of the authors' earlier study (2016) on the training routines of professional and high-level esport players, with added focus on their physical exercise. The study is methodologically mixed with a quantitative survey sample (n=115) and a qualitative interview sample (n=7). Based on this data, high-level esport players train approximately 5.28 hours every day around the year, and professional esport players at least the same amount. Approximately 1.08 hours of that training is physical exercise. More than half (55.6%) of the professional and high-level esport players believe that integrating physical exercise into their training programs has a positive ef…

Demographic Differences in the Effectiveness of a Physical Activity Application to Promote Physical Activity: Study Among Aged People

The global population is ageing and simultaneously the life expectancy at older ages is improving. To support healthy and active aging, it is imperative to find solutions to support physical activity (PA) in older age. Digital wellness technologies are a potential solution, but in order for such technologies to be successful, research is needed to gain a better understanding on their use and effectiveness among aged people. To address this need, this study investigated the effectiveness of a physical activity application to promote PA behavior among aged people of different demographics (gender, age, education, marital status). PA levels were measured before taking the application into use …

Implementing a Digital Wellness Application into Use : Challenges and Solutions Among Aged People

The ageing population is a growing priority area for policy makers and healthcare providers worldwide. Life expectancy is improving, but at the same time, insufficient physical activity threatens older age. Thus, an important question arises: how to improve the probability of people living a healthy and active life in older age. One potential solution to support physical activity and healthy aging is digital wellness technologies. However, digital wellness technologies are still typically designed for younger populations, yet a growing need and potential also among aged people is prevalent. Aged people are a user group with distinct needs and challenges. The main purpose of this study was t…

Sustained Adoption of Systematic Physical Activity for Young Elderly : A Developed UTAUT Approach

Health recommendations state that for young elderly systematic physical activi-ties at moderate intensity for at least 150 minutes per week are required to help them stay in good shape for their senior years. We have found that young elderly readily gets started with a physical activity (PA) program but there is some challenge to make them stay with this program. We have learned that a PA program should build on activities that users find meaningful and/or best suited for their history of PA and their present physical capacity. Support from dig-ital services to find meaningful and suitable programs can make a difference. We work out developments of the UTAUT to find drivers that could help …

Using Sport and Wellness Technology to Promote Physical Activity: An Intervention Study among Teenagers

Life-long physical activity patterns are established during teenage years. Thus, promoting physical activity for teenagers is important. Sport and wellness technology shows promise for promoting physical activity. Yet, its research with teenage populations is sparse. This intervention study focused on whether using a sport and wellness technology application could affect the physical activity intention of teenagers, its antecedents, and the antecedents’ effects on intention by using the theory of planned behavior combined with the concept of self-efficacy as a theoretical framework. The results showed no statistically significant difference between the intervention and the control group in …

Liikuntateknologia kilpasuunnistajan harjoittelun ohjaajana ja motivaattorina

Kari, Tuomas Liikuntateknologia kilpasuunnistajan harjoittelun ohjaajana ja motivaattorina Jyväskylä: Jyväskylän yliopisto, 2011, 105 s. Tietojärjestelmätiede, pro gradu -tutkielma Ohjaaja: Moilanen, Panu Tämän tutkielman tarkoituksena on kilpasuunnistajan ja liikuntateknologian välisen suhteen selvittäminen. Tutkimustavoitteena on yleisellä tasolla selvittää mitä liikuntateknologioita kilpasuunnistajat käyttävät, miksi ja miten he niitä käyttävät, ja mikä on käytön vaikutus harjoitteluun ja motivaatioon. Lisäksi selvitetään kilpasuunnistajien liikuntasuoritusten jakamista, seuraamista ja niiden vaikutuksia. Tutkimusmenetelminä käytetään kirjallisuuskatsausta, etnografiaa ja teemahaastattel…

Role of situational context in use continuance after critical exergaming incidents

Use continuance is crucial in terms of information systems (IS) success. Previous research has shown that situational context can be central for IS use continuance but has paid limited attention to its specific characteristics. Furthermore, the link between situational context and use continuance has remained unexplored in the novel area of “exergames,” which are defined as digital games requiring physical effort from the player that determines the outcome of the game. Studying exergames is deemed important due to their potential in providing health benefits for users, revenues for providers, and well‐being for societies. However, their potential remains unreached because users tend to disc…

Applying UTAUT2 to Explain the Use of Physical Activity Logger Applications Among Young Elderly

Digital wellness technologies have been proposed as a promising way to promote the levels of physical activity and to solve the prevalent problem of physical inactivity among elderly people. In this study, we propose and test a research model for explaining the acceptance and use of these technologies in the case of the young elderly segment (people aged 60–75 years) and physical activity logger applications. The proposed model is theoretically founded on UTAUT2, and it is empirically tested by using the data collected from 115 Finnish young elderly users of a physical activity logger application and analysed with partial least squares based structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). We find …

Can Sport and Wellness Technology be My Personal Trainer? : Teenagers and Digital Coaching

The attention towards digital coaching solutions has increased among users of sport and wellness technologies, the related industry, the healthcare and wellness sector, and among scholars. However, as the commercial digital coaching solutions are rather novel, the number of studies about their influence or the usage experiences is still rather limited. Another topic that is lacking research is the relationship of teenagers and sport and wellness technology. Since using the internet and technological devices on a daily basis has become the norm for teenagers, it is worth paying attention to how technology could be developed in order to better motivate them towards a healthier lifestyle. The …

Changes in the Use Intention of Digital Wellness Technologies and Its Antecedents Over Time : The Use of Physical Activity Logger Applications Among Young Elderly in Finland

Physical inactivity has become a prevalent problem among elderly people. Although digital wellness technologies have been proposed as one promising solution to it, our understanding on the antecedents of the acceptance and use of these technologies among elderly people remains limited. In this study, our objective is to promote this understanding by examining the potential changes in the use intention of digital wellness technologies and its antecedents over time in the case of the young elderly segment and physical activity logger applications. We base this examination theoretically on UTAUT2 and empirically on survey data that is collected from 99 Finnish young elderly users of a physical…

Expectations and Experiences of Implementing a Mobile Secure Communication Application

The privacy and security of communication in corporations and governmental organizations has increased enormously over the years. At the same time, a growing amount of technological solutions to support this have emerged. This study examines user expectations before and use experiences during the implementation phase of a mobile secure communication application. These are investigated from the expectation–confirmation perspective and its influence on continued adoption. The study has an exploratory approach for this investigation. To guide the investigation, the study draws from the expectation–confirmation theory (ECT) and the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT). Emp…

Physical Activity Tracker Application in Promoting Physical Activity Behavior among Older Adults : A 24-month Follow-Up Study

Objectives To investigate whether and how PA tracker application use supports PA behavior among older adults during the first 24 months of use. Methods: The changes in PA levels (i.e., time spent in different PA intensities) and between PA categories (i.e., low, moderate, or high based on total PA) were examined between three different time points: before taking the application into use (t0), after 12 months of use (t1), and after 24 months of use (t2). The data was collected by using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire modified for the elderly (IPAQ-E). Results: A statistically significant increase was observed in walking (χ2 (2) = 29.741, p < .001), moderate PA (χ2 (2) =…

Towards Experiencing Eating as a Form of Play

There is an increasing trend in interaction design to engage with food. We note that most prior work targets instrumental benefits (for example see food tracking apps to manage nutritional intake). In contrast, in this article, we highlight the potential of technology to support eating as a form of play. We reflect on our own work to articulate two design strategies for game designers on how they can facilitate playful eating experiences using novel technologies. Ultimately, with our work, we aim to facilitate a more playful engagement around the way we eat.

Does Physical Activity Application Use Promote Self-Efficacy for Exercise? A Study Among Aged People

The importance of sustained physical activity in healthy aging is well established. To achieve sustained physical activity and exercise, related self-efficacy is important. Hence, solutions to promote self-efficacy for exercise among aged people are urgently needed. Digital wellness technologies provide a potential solution, but research on their potential to promote self-efficacy for exercise is scarce and more research is needed. To address this need, this study investigates how effective is the use of a physical activity application in promoting self-efficacy for exercise among aged people. Self-efficacy levels were compared between three different time points: before taking the applicat…

Digital coaching and athlete’s self-efficacy : A quantitative study on sport and wellness technology

The use and demand for sport and wellness technology devices among athletes are increasing. The technology is used to improve the quality of training but also to improve quality of life by, for example, reducing risk of injury. Together with the increased interest towards sport and wellness technology, the demand for clear and easy to understand personalized information is growing. Digital coaching offers solutions for this demand by not only providing valuable training data but also offering instructions and guidance on how to improve the training. By doing this, the sport and wellness technology can act as a personal coach and therefore can also affect athletes’ confidence and perception …

Exploring Features of the Pervasive Game Pokémon GO That Enable Behavior Change: Qualitative Study

BackgroundDigital gaming is one of the most popular forms of entertainment in the world. While prior literature concluded that digital games can enable changes in players’ behaviors, there is limited knowledge about different types of behavior changes and the game features driving them. Understanding behavior changes and the game features behind them is important because digital games can motivate players to change their behavior for the better (or worse). ObjectiveThis study investigates the types of behavior changes and their underlying game features within the context of the popular pervasive game Pokémon GO. MethodsWe collected data from 262 respondents with a critical incident techniqu…

Critical Experiences with Sport and Wellness Technology Digital Coach : A Study among University Students with Low Levels of Physical Activity

University age students have been found to be in a high risk of disengagement with physical activity and therefore exercise promotion to this target group is important. Since today’s students are familiar with different kinds of digital technology, it is worth including personal wellness devices in physical activity promotion. This study explores critical experiences occurring during the implementation phase of a sport and wellness technology digital coach among university students with low or sedentary physical activity level. This study uses qualitative methods and is based on a thematic analysis of 30 interviews combined with the critical incident technique. The study reveals the experie…

Do E-Athletes Move?

This article offers possibly the first peer-reviewed study on the training routines of elite e-athletes with special focus on the subjects' physical exercise routines. The study is based on a sample of 115 elite e-athletes. According to the responses, e-athletes train approximately 5.28 hours every day around the year on the elite level. Approximately 1.08 hours of that training is physical exercise. More than half (55.6%) of the elite e-athletes believe that integrating physical exercise in their training programs has a positive effect on esport performance; however, no less than 47.0% of the elite e-athletes do their physical exercise chiefly to maintain overall health. Accordingly, the s…

Stages of Exercise Behavior Change in a Digital Wellness Program for Aged People : Relationship With Self-Efficacy for Exercise

Sustained physical activity and exercise are central to healthy ageing. Yet, the majority of aged people are insufficiently physically active. Digital wellness technologies are potential in promoting exercise behaviors among aged people, but more detailed research on their potential to promote behavior change is limited. To address this gap, the purpose is to investigate how partaking in a digital wellness program influences the stage of exercise behavior change among aged people and to test whether self-efficacy for exercise can differentiate the program participants in terms of the stages of change. The investigation builds on the stages of exercise behavior change derived from the transt…

Identifying the Ideal Types of Online Shoppers : A Qualitative Analysis of Online Shopping

The tremendous increase in online shopping has created a growing demand to understand online shopping behavior. This study contributes to this understanding by identifying ideal types among online shoppers. An ideal type is an analytical construct used to ascertain similarities and deviations to concrete cases in an individual phenomenon. Theoretically, the study draws from different perspectives to create a multifaceted view of online shoppers. The purpose is not to categorize online shoppers under a specific category but rather to help understand different typically occurring online shopping behaviors. Through thematic analysis of the data from 31 participants, this study presents five id…

Towards a Coming Together of Transhumanism and Play

We note a trend on utilizing interactive technology to extend human capacities through bodily cyborg-like integrations such as artificial limbs and implantables. This trend is often captured by the term "transhumanism", referring to the use of technology to extend human capacities. We find that many transhuman discussions appear to focus on instrumental benefits (i.e. exploiting opportunities to be more productive). We extend this by proposing engagement with transhumanism also from a perspective of "play". We reflect on our own and other's work to articulate three strategies for game designers on how they can engage with transhumanism when aiming to facilitate playful experiences. Ultimate…

User expectations, use experiences and continued adoption of a mobile secure communication application

The importance of secure communication between employees in enterprises and governmental organizations as well as technologies to support that has increased tremendously over the past years. This study examines the user expectations before and the use experiences during the implementation phase of a mobile secure communication application together with expectation–confirmation and its influence on continued adoption. The study is explorative in nature and empirically based on thematic analysis of qualitative data collected from pilot users of a mobile secure communication application who work in a governmental organization in Finland. The theoretical basis of the study draws from two well-e…

Virtual Reality Arcades : A Study on Usage Habits with Emphasis on Digital Gaming

Virtual reality (VR) and VR gaming have seen substantial advancement during the recent years both in terms of technological development and the number of users. A notable rise has also occurred in the number of VR arcades. Despite the growing academic interest towards VR and VR gaming, there is still a dearth of understanding on the usage aspects of VR gaming and VR arcades. To address this gap, this study explored the habits of using VR arcades with emphasis on digital gaming. Specific focus was set on investigating differences between gender, age, and physical activity background. The study was exploratory in nature and based on a quantitative analysis of data collected from 126 responden…

Survival of the Fittest? Examining Lapsing Behaviour in the Context of Elderly People and the Use of Physical Activity Tracker Applications

Physical activity (PA) tracker applications have been proposed as one potential solution to the increasingly prevalent physical inactivity problem among elderly people, but their long-term potential is limited by the frequent lapses in their use. In this study, our objective is to promote the understanding of the lapsing behaviour of PA tracker applications among elderly people. More specifically, we are interested in how gender, age, and household type as well as initial PA level and technology readiness (TR) affect the risk of lapsing. As the data for the study, we use actual PA tracker application usage data as well as survey data, which were both collected in our ongoing research progra…

Ideal types of online shoppers : a qualitative analysis of online shopping behavior

Due to the growing popularity of online shopping, there is a growing demand for understanding the motives and behaviour of online shoppers. This study aims to increase this understanding by examining online shopping behaviour from the perspective of UTAUT2 theory integrated with self-efficacy and risk avoidance components. The thematically analysed data from 31 participants highlights the unique aspects of online shoppers by grouping them into ideal types, presenting the data as extensively as possible. An ideal type is an analytical construct used to ascertain similarities and deviations to concrete cases in an individual phenomenon. This study discovered five ideal types of online shopper…

Using a Physical Activity Application to Promote Physical Activity Levels Among Aged People : A Follow-Up Study

The share and life expectancy of the ageing population are increasing. However, aged people are threatened by insufficient physical activity. Therefore, finding ways to support people to live a physically active life in older age is imperative. Digital wellness technologies represent a potential solution, but in order for such technologies to be effective, research is needed to gain a better understanding on their use among aged people. To address this need, this study investigated whether the use of a physical activity application can promote physical activity among aged people. The physical activity levels were measured at three different time points: before taking the application into us…

Exergaming Experiences of Older Adults: A Critical Incident Study

Exergaming is a form of digital gaming requiring physical effort from the player. There has been a growing interest towards exergaming in academia. However, only a very limited number of exergaming studies have given a voice to older adults and investigated their experiences. This study investigates what kinds of exergaming experiences are perceived as the most meaningful ones among older adults (referred in this study as people over 50 years of age). That is, the experiences which they perceive or remember as “unusually positive or negative”. To meet this purpose, this study takes a qualitative approach and uses the critical incident technique, a well-established technique to collect and c…

Digital Coaching among University Students with Low Levels of Physical Activity: A Quantitative Intervention Study on Exercise Self-efficacy

University aged people have been found to be at a high risk of disengagement of physical activity. They also belong to a generation where technology is strongly integrated into most parts of their lives. Therefore, using technology also in physical activity promotion has potential. This exploratory study investigates the perceived effects of a sport and wellness technology digital coach among physically inactive university students during a 10-week intervention. The perspective for the research came from exercise psychology focusing on the effects of the use of a digital coach on self-efficacy related to physical activity and exercising. The results indicate that a digital coach can increas…

Can Exergaming Promote Physical Fitness and Physical Activity?

This systematic review of systematic reviews evaluates the effectiveness of exergaming on physical fitness and physical activity. A systematic literature search was conducted on 10 databases, and 1040 articles were identified. Sixty-eight articles were found potentially relevant and were selected for closer screening. Cross-referencing was conducted to find other potentially relevant articles. The quality of all relevant articles was evaluated using the AMSTAR tool. After all the duplicates were removed and inclusion, exclusion, and quality criteria were implemented, six articles remained for review. The results indicate that exergaming is generally enjoyed and can evoke some benefits for p…

Digital Coaching Motivating Young Elderly People towards Physical Activity

The share of the elderly population is increasing globally, and it is important to help them to maintain their physical activity levels and ability to function to as late an age as possible. This qualitative intervention study focused on the experiences of young elderly on the ability of a sport and wellness technology digital coach to motivate them towards physical activity as well as on what needs and wishes this group has concerning digital coaching solutions. The findings of the study show that young elderly perceive digital coaching as potential in motivating them towards physical activity by providing instructive information and motivational feedback. It was also perceived to have pos…

Sport and Wellness Technology to Promote Physical Activity of Teenagers

Life-long physical activity patterns are established during teenage years, so promoting physical activity is important. Sport and wellness technology has potential for promoting physical activity. Yet, research concerning its use among teenage populations is sparse. This intervention study investigated whether using a sport and wellness technology application could affect teenagers' physical activity intention, its antecedents, and the effects of these antecedents on intention. The study uses the theory of planned behavior (TPB) combined with self-efficacy as a theoretical model. The results showed no statistically significant difference between the intervention and control group in terms o…

Exergaming Experiences of Older Adults:A Critical Incident Study

Behavior change types with Pokémon GO

Digital games1 are one of the most popular entertainment media in the world. Teir allure and widespread popularity makes them an interesting and highly potential platform for behavior change atempts. In this paper, we investigate what types of behavior changes Pokémon GO has promoted or induced among its players. Te study is based on an online survey sample of 262 Pokémon GO players, collected using the critical incident technique and analyzed using qualitative methods. Te analysis shows that the behavior changes induced by Pokémon GO are not just restricted to increased physical activity or social behavior but are actually much more multifaceted: players were more social, found their routi…

The Effect of Using Noise Cancellation Earplugs in Open-plan Offices of the Work Well-being and Work Performance of Software Professionals

The popularity of open-plan offices has been on the rise recently and expanded to all sectors of working life. While moving to open-plan offices brings savings to companies, open-plan offices have been connected with various different negative consequences, such as noise. Noise has been found to be a central cause of dissatisfaction towards working in an open-plan office and lead to subsequent negative outcomes, such as decreased self-perceived health and weakened cognitive performance. Therefore, it is important to study the ways and technologies that could possibly mitigate the negative effects of noise on work well-being and work performance. This explorative study investigates both the …

Sustainable Physical Activity Programs for Young Elderly : A Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process Approach

Physical activity (PA) programs are useful to help young elderly stay in good shape for their senior years. These programs should be sustainable, as this would keep the users active for months and years. A PA program should build on activities that users find meaningful and/or best suited for their history of sports and exercise as well as their present physical capacity. The challenge is to make the best selection from a (long) list of possible activities. We worked out a method to help young elderly to build a sustainable PA program from a set of activities that experts have identified as contributing to health and fitness among young elderly. The method builds on the Analytical Hierarchy…

Activity Trackers Influencing Motivation and Awareness: Study Among Fitness Centre Members

Consumer fitness technology products are becoming increasingly popular. This leads to interesting questions about the influence of activity trackers on a person’s motivation to exercise. This study explored the role of activity trackers in motivating fitness centre members towards exercising and in increasing their awareness regarding their own health and physical activity. The study included 100 fitness centre members divided into a test group and a control group and three sub-groups: OLD, NEW, and personal trainer (PT) members. The focus was on gym visit frequency during a 10-week test period and on tracking the consistency of activity levels. Participants also completed a pre and post st…

Digitaaliset liikuntapelit : huvia ja terveyshyötyä

Digitaalisen pelaamisen on yleisesti ajateltu lisäävän ihmisten passiivista aikaa, mutta pelaaminen voi myös toimia terveyden ja hyvinvoinnin edistämisen välineenä. Digitaaliset liikuntapelit yhdistävät pelaamisen ja liikunnan ja vaativat pelaajalta fyysistä aktiivisuutta. Enää ei ole syytä oudoksua liikkujia, joilla on sauvojen sijaan käsissään vaikkapa peliohjain tai älypuhelin. nonPeerReviewed

Co-riding With My eBike to Get Green Lights

Researchers are increasingly exploring interactive technology supporting human-system partnership in an exertion context, such as cycling. So far, most investigations have supported the rider cognitively, by the system "sensing and presenting" information to assist the rider to make informed decisions. In contrast, we propose systems that promote user-system co-operation, by "sensing and acting" on information to assist the rider, not only "cognitively" but also "physically", with the aim of facilitating user-system co-operation in an exertion context. Our prototype, "Ari", is a novel augmented eBike designed to facilitate user-system co-operation, where the information that each party can …

A Follow-Up On The Changes in the Changes in the Use Intention of Digital Wellness Technologies and Its Antecedents Over Time : The Use of Physical Activity Logger Applications Among Young Elderly in Finland

This study aims to further promote the understanding of the antecedents of the acceptance and use of digital wellness technologies among elderly people through a follow-up to our two prior studies, one which examines the potential longer-term temporal changes in the use intention of digital wellness technologies and its antecedents in the case of the young elderly segment and physical activity logger applications. We base this examination theoretically on UTAUT2 and empirically on survey data that is collected from 92 Finnish young elderly users of a physical activity logger application in three subsequent time points and analysed with partial least squares structural equation modelling (PL…

Forming Sustainable Physical Activity Programs Among Young Elderly : A Combined ELM & UTAUT Approach

There is consensus in health studies that regular physical activities of sufficient intensity and duration contribute to better health both in the short and long term. In an ongoing research program, we focus on getting the young elderly, the 60-75 years age group, to adopt and include physical activities as part of their daily routines. One reason for addressing young elderly is large numbers – in Finland health care costs for the elderly was 3.7 B€ in 2019 and will increase dramatically if the young elderly group is in bad shape when they reach the 75+ age group. We are finding out that systematic physical activities can serve as preventive health care for the young elderly. We are also l…