Applications of Wearable Activity Monitors for Prostate Cancer Survivors: A Systematic Scoping Review

BackgroundWearable technology is used to monitor and motivate physical activity (PA) and provides continuous, objective PA and sleep data outside the clinical setting. We reviewed the literature to understand how wearables are integrated into prostate cancer (PC) investigations to identify current practices, gaps, and research opportunities.MethodsWe conducted a literature search for articles using wearables, among PC survivors published between 2012 and 2022. We extracted study specifics, interventions and outcomes, participant baseline characteristics, and device characteristics. We grouped them by study type: randomized control trials (RCTs), non-randomized, and qualitative.ResultsOf 354 articles screened, 44 met eligibility criteria, 23 RCTs, and 21 non-randomized. 89% used wearables to monitor PA metrics, 11% sleep metrics, and 6.8% both. Most interventions were exercise (70% RCTs, 9% non-randomized studies) or lifestyle interventions (30% RCTs, 9% non-randomized studies). Intervention delivery methods included personalized computer-based (48%), in-person (e.g., trainer) (20%), and education web or print-based (20%). Interventions occurred at home (48%) or gym (20%). 57% of the studies evaluated the feasibility and acceptability of the wearable as an activity-measuring device or as part of a remotely delivered computer-based intervention. Studies used wearables to monitor adherence to PA, collect data, motivate behavior change, and predict clinical outcomes.ConclusionsInvestigations are using wearables to assess daily activity and monitor adherence to exercise interventions in PC survivors. Findings suggest they are feasible for use in this population. More research is needed to understand how to integrate wearables into routine care or to deliver tailored interventions for PC survivors.