Only 50% of European citizens say they are satisfied with their physical shape and 91% want to improve at least one aspect of their lifestyle. This is what emerges from the Huawei Health Survey 2023 research promoted by Huawei and conducted by Ipsos at a European level, with the aim of investigating people’s attitudes and behaviors regarding the topic of health management, with a focus on awareness of the benefits that health management can bring. using a smartwatch.
Yes, your smartwatch makes you fit
88% of those interviewed say they have improved their physical condition thanks to the support of a device and 87% say they have adopted at least one new healthier habit following the data provided by the smartwatch.
Sleep and stress are the two elements that cause the most concern but, at the same time, they are also the least monitored parameters from a medical point of view. In fact, more than half (54%) of Europeans do not undergo regular exams, while 63% consulted the doctor only after receiving anomalous alerts from their smartwatch.
Psycho-physical wellbeing
“Psycho-physical well-being is a central aspect of people’s lives and represents a very current issue,” says William Tian, President of Huawei Consumer Business Group Europe. “Through this research, Huawei has explored the level of awareness of European citizens in managing their health to understand whether it is at the center of their priorities and whether the most important parameters to track are clear. The research revealed different behaviors between people who use a smartwatch and people who don’t, demonstrating the fundamental role of this type of device equipped with increasingly advanced monitoring features.”
Satisfaction only for a few
In general, smartwatch owners tend to feel fitter and healthier than other people. The majority of European citizens are interested in their health, with equal attention to psychological and physical well-being (>83% vs. >82%). However, only half say they are satisfied, in particular with regards to physical fitness (24%), agility in movement (26%), vitality and energy (29%), with 46% of participants considering themselves overweight or obese. Among the aspects that most need to be improved, nutrition stands out.
Few people are satisfied with their physical appearance
In Italy, only 2 out of 5 Italians are satisfied with their physical appearance, in particular when it comes to the level of muscle mass, physical fitness and sports performance, while 56%, unlike other European countries, consider their diet to be healthy and correct, with 9% of people suffering from obesity compared to 57% of people who declare they are within a healthy weight. 71% say they follow a balanced diet supported by healthy habits: 65% drink enough water, 63% limit alcohol and other stimulants, 59% eat healthy and 58% take care of their social relationships; about 50% said they get enough sleep, maintain a healthy weight, take breaks and rest, and stay calm. As regards the regularity of medical visits and physical activity, the percentage drops to 47%. Furthermore, only 43% of Italians consider themselves beautiful.
Good intentions… little motivation
91% of European respondents expressed the desire to change at least one aspect of their lifestyle, an average of almost four (3.9) healthier behaviors each.
For 43% of European citizens, reducing stress is the main priority, followed by regular weight (40%), healthy eating (35%), adequate sleep (35%) and daily physical exercise (34%). Despite these good intentions, 72% admit that they need encouragement and often lose the right motivation to maintain healthy lifestyle habits.
A wearable helps you improve your habits
More than a third of the population of the countries involved in the research owns a smartwatch and Italy boasts the highest number, with the exception of Spain, with a percentage of 41% which reaches 49% for respondents under the age of 40. 89% of Italian users who own a wearable have been induced by their smartwatch to change their behavior: 46% have started doing more physical exercise and 44% more frequently. Furthermore, 28% started taking better care of their sleep and 24% changed their diet; 20% started taking breaks at work and 17% decided to visit the doctor following feedback provided by the smartwatch.
In terms of regularity in smartwatch use, Italians do not differ significantly from users in other countries. Compared to the 68% of Europeans who usually use smartwatches, the Italian share is equal to the average score among the countries interviewed, with 29% stating they only use smartwatches occasionally.
Drinking water is not enough, more awareness thanks to the smartwatch
“Drink more water” is among the actions that most participants consider important, but it is not enough. Awareness of which indicators define a truly correct lifestyle for one’s health is still limited, but increases among those who use a smartwatch. The Huawei Health Survey 2023 research shows that the support of a smartwatch can help change one’s behavior in favor of positive micro-habits.
MORE awareness
Compared to those who do not use a technological device, people in Europe who own a smartwatch:
they are 51% more likely to know the reference targets for the main vital parameters, 75% more to know their body fat and 71% more to be aware of the correct number of daily calories to consume;
they monitor parameters more than double, three times more frequently in the case of heart rate, blood oxygen saturation and calories burned (2.8x, 2.7x and 2.6x respectively). Almost half of the users interviewed mainly monitor physical activity through the number of daily steps;
they take alerts regarding their health status seriously. Over 74% seek advice when the device signals anomalous health indicators and 63% decide to consult the doctor for a more in-depth analysis;
they actually adopt healthier behaviors. 87% of those interviewed admit to having changed their habits in response to the information provided by their smartwatch, with an average of two changes per user which include, among others, greater frequency (47%) and longer duration (41%) physical exercise, improvement of sleep habits (39%) and of one’s diet (28%);
they attribute the results obtained to the support of their device. 88% agree that the smartwatch can help improve physical health, 86% lifestyle and 76% mental well-being.
Italians know what the correct value of an average of 5.6 parameters should be, higher than that of the United Kingdom, Germany or Spain. 86% of users are at least aware of what their devices can offer, the same is true for only 44% of non-users. In particular, 54% of women are aware of the correct values relating to their menstrual cycle and 43% also know those linked to blood pressure. However, less than 40% are familiar with all other health indicators and less than 30% with at least 8 parameters.
Furthermore, in Italy the most used features are heart rate monitoring (40%) and physical activity (28%); at least 20% of respondents regularly use measurement of calories burned, monitoring of sleep and blood oxygen saturation index, measurement of ECG frequency and respiratory rate.
Ten years of Huawei Research & Development
Huawei has been investing in wearable research and development for ten years. It has developed a portfolio of innovative technologies, including intelligent, sophisticated and precise sensors, and a complete ecosystem of hardware, software and services for the Health and Fitness area capable of responding to the growing interest of consumers in this type of device. Huawei’s constant and increasingly in-depth analysis of the algorithms for monitoring people’s psycho-physical well-being through its wearable technologies has led to the creation of three Health Labs around the world, since 2016 in Xi’an and Songshan Lake in China , and this year in Helsinki, Finland.
Huawei Health Lab in Helsinki boasts a multidisciplinary scientific research team composed of 6 researchers and 20 experts from 7 European Union countries for 5 different study areas – physiology, artificial intelligence, machine learning, software testing and software engineering – with the aim of guaranteeing for each one the highest level standards in the world.
READ ALSO: How do you choose a smartwatch?
The complete Huawei Health Survey 2023 research is available at this link.
You can consult the results for Italy here.
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2023-12-16 13:56:23
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