Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 10, 2026
11:21
Methodology for Establishing a Community-Wide Life Laboratory for Capturing Unobtrusive and Continuous Remote Activity and Health Data
Published on: July 27, 2018
The Digital Exposome: A Life Course Framework for Health in the Digital Age.
Pascal Petit1, Nicolas Vuillerme1,2
1Univ. Grenoble Aples, CNRS, Grenoble INP, LIG, SANGRIA, Grenoble, 38000, France.
Journal of Medical Internet Research
|May 8, 2026
Summary
Digital technologies impact health across life, necessitating their inclusion in exposome science. Integrating the digital exposome is key for understanding health and equity, guiding future research and policy.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health Sciences
- Digital Health
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Digital technologies profoundly reshape health behaviors and delivery, yet their lifelong effects are understudied.
- Exposures from digital technology interactions are not yet formally part of exposome science.
Purpose of the Study:
- To redefine the digital exposome within the broader exposome framework.
- To examine the life course implications of digital exposures on health and equity.
- To propose a research and policy agenda for measuring and integrating digital exposures into health practices.
Main Methods:
- Conceptual framework development integrating digital technology interactions into exposome science.
- Review of interdisciplinary evidence from exposure science, epidemiology, and digital phenotyping.
- Proposal of measurement approaches including digital phenotyping and wearable sensors.
Main Results:
- Digital exposures offer health benefits (monitoring, access) but also risks (mental health, sedentary behavior, inequity).
- A refined definition of the digital exposome encompasses technology interactions and their health influence across the lifespan.
- Operationalization involves diverse data sources like device logs and digital phenotypes.
Conclusions:
- The digital exposome is a dynamic environmental influence requiring systematic measurement for accurate health impact assessment.
- Integrating digital exposures into exposome science, clinical practice, and policy is crucial for promoting health and equity in digital societies.
- Ethical considerations and equity must guide the development of safer digital environments.
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