Smartwatches Struggle to Accurately Measure Stress Levels, Study Finds
Wearable technology, such as smartwatches, are commonly used for tracking sleep patterns and heart rates, but a new study published in the Journal of Psychopathology and Clinical Science suggests they may not be reliable when measuring stress levels.
The research, which involved 781 college students wearing Garmin Vivosmart 4 watches over a three-month period, found that self-reported and wearable measures of stress did not align for the majority of participants, with associations also being weak for feelings of tiredness. Participants provided four daily updates on their emotional states, which were then compared to data collected by the Garmin device.
Eiko Fried, one of the study’s authors, told The Guardian that the correlation between the smartwatch and self-reported stress scores was “basically zero.” Fried added that he had personally experienced instances where his smartwatch incorrectly indicated stress during a gym workout and while talking to a friend at a wedding.
Despite these limitations, the study did highlight some strengths of the Garmin wearable. It performed well as a sleep tracker, with two-thirds of participants showing significant overlap between their wearable’s data and their self-reported assessments of sleep quality. The researchers were also able to predict an additional two hours of sleep time when a participant reported a good night’s sleep compared to a bad one.
While the study raises questions about the accuracy of wearable technology in monitoring mental states, it also emphasizes that these devices are consumer products rather than medical devices. Caution is advised against relying solely on smartwatch data for health-related decisions.
As the market for wearable devices continues to grow in the US and more public bodies explore their potential health applications, further academic scrutiny may be necessary to ensure their accuracy and reliability. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently announced his intention to include smartwatches, fitness trackers, or other wearable health technology as part of his “Making America Healthy Again” (MAHA) agenda.
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