STAT April 25, 2022
The growing uptake of wearable devices has sparked enthusiasm among health researchers, and for good reason. The data generated by fitness and activity trackers offers an exciting new stream of metrics — physical activity, sleep, heart rate, and more — that may help researchers better understand the unique health needs of specific populations.
But the promise of wearable data comes with a familiar pitfall. The use of wearable devices is currently concentrated among young, white, college-educated, and higher-income users which could worsen the problem of underrepresentation in research without intentional work toward equitable access to and use of digital health technologies.
Lack of diversity among those participating in medical research has created knowledge gaps and fueled disparities in health outcomes....
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