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Published on: March 7, 2019
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Data Donation as a Method to Measure Physical Activity in Older Adults: Cross-Sectional Web Survey Assessing Consent
Florian Keusch1, Bella Struminskaya2, Joris Mulder3
1Department of Sociology, School of Social Sciences, University of Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany.
Journal of Medical Internet Research
|September 26, 2025
Summary
Older adults can donate smartphone physical activity (PA) data for research, but participation is limited. Data donors show better health and more PA, indicating potential bias in this feasible PA measurement method.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Digital Health
- Public Health Research
Background:
- Accurate physical activity (PA) measurement is crucial for health research.
- Self-reports have limitations; wearable devices face compliance and cost issues.
- Smartphone-derived PA data offers a user-centric, privacy-aware alternative for research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the feasibility of older adults donating smartphone-tracked PA data.
- To identify factors influencing willingness and success in PA data donation.
- To examine potential biases introduced by selective data donation.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional observational study of 2086 Dutch adults aged 50+ from a probability-based online panel.
- Participants with compatible smartphones were invited to donate PA data (Apple Health, Google Location History, Samsung Health).
- Web survey collected data on demographics, attitudes, and smartphone usage.
Main Results:
- 12% of participants successfully donated PA data; willingness was 29%.
- Donation success varied by phone type (iPhone owners more successful) and user demographics/attitudes.
- Donors reported better health, fewer limitations, and higher PA compared to non-donors.
Conclusions:
- Smartphone PA data donation is a feasible, albeit limited, method for older adults, particularly iPhone users under 70.
- Nonparticipation is linked to smartphone ownership and comfort with technology.
- Significant bias in health and PA outcomes exists among data donors versus the general survey sample.
