Examining Response to Negative Life Events Through Fitness Tracker Data

Area of Science:

• Psychoneuroimmunology
• Behavioral Medicine
• Digital Health

Background:

• Negative life events are significant stressors that can precipitate mental health disorders.
• Existing research primarily focuses on psychological responses to these events.
• Physical health responses to negative life events remain under-investigated.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify physical health changes in response to negative life events by analyzing physiological and behavioral states (PB-state).
• To explore the association between physical health deviations and psychological coping strategies.
• To highlight the importance of considering physical health in the context of negative life events.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a cohort of US professionals monitored for one year, experiencing negative life events.
• Employed Garmin Vivosmart-3 devices to collect resting heart rate, physical activity, and sleep data.
• Applied One-Class Support Vector Machines for PB-state baseline establishment and deviation detection, with Bayesian regression for coping strategy analysis.

Main Results:

• Physical health determinants demonstrably deviate following negative life events.
• Specific coping strategies were associated with the mitigation of these physical health deviations.
• A significant link was observed between physiological and behavioral state changes and coping mechanisms.

Conclusions:

• Physical health is significantly affected by negative life events, necessitating its inclusion in research.
• Coping strategies play a crucial role in modulating the physical health impact of stressors.
• A holistic approach, integrating physical and psychological health measures, is essential for understanding responses to adversity.