Track more, drop less: dual dimensions of usefulness and configurational pathways to sport wearable usage intention for digital public health.

Authors

Hyun Byun, Junwoo Lee, Dong-Kyu Kim

Published in

Frontiers in public health. Volume 14. Pages 1869828. Epub Jul 15, 2026.

Abstract

Physical inactivity is a major global public health challenge, and sport wearable devices have emerged as promising digital health tools. Despite high initial adoption rates, long-term adoption remains limited. This study examines whether distinguishing exercise usefulness (EU) from functional usefulness (FU) provides a more nuanced explanation of sport wearable usage intention.
Extending the Technology Acceptance Model, perceived usefulness was reconceptualized as two distinct constructs, exercise usefulness and functional usefulness, alongside perceived value (PV) and intention to use (IU). Survey data from 322 Korean adults with prior sport wearable device experience were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA).
Both EU and FU were positively associated with PV and IU. FU demonstrated a stronger positive association with PV, whereas EU exerted a stronger direct association with IU. PV was positively associated with IU, and a value-mediated indirect effect was supported for FU but not for EU, indicating distinct pathways to adoption intention. The fsQCA identified five configurational pathways demonstrating equifinality and causal asymmetry, with functional usefulness emerging as the most consistently present condition.
Exercise usefulness and functional usefulness influence adoption intention through structurally distinct pathways, and high intention to use can emerge from multiple alternative configurations. These findings provide practical implications for the design and promotion of sport wearable technologies while highlighting important limitations regarding generalizability beyond Korean adults with prior sport wearable device experience.

PMID:
42529660
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 30 Jul 2026.

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