Use, trustworthiness and willingness to self-monitor health and personal wellness: a UK population survey

Abstract

Abstract Background Public opinion about self-monitoring of health and personal wellness is important but largely unknown. This study investigated public attitudes towards self-monitoring of health and personal wellness. Methods Four thousand two hundred seventy UK adults selected to produce a nationally representative sample (by age, gender, ethnicity, social grade/socioeconomic group, geographic region) completed an online survey. Self-monitoring questions addressed experiences (use, motivation, trust, actions taken), benefits, problems, willingness (to use, to have results sent to GP) and the preferred action if a problem is identified. Questions concerned 12 physiologic and behavioural health aspects (blood pressure, blood sugar, body composition, cholesterol, diet, eyesight, fitness/exercise, hearing, menstrual cycles/periods, mental and cognitive health, pulse/heart rate, and skin conditions). Results Most respondents had self-monitored (79%) and were willing, if recommended by the NHS, to self-monitor (86%) at least one health aspect. The proportion of respondents who had self-monitored was similar for health and personal wellness; however, the proportion willing to self-monitor was higher for health than personal wellness. Self-monitoring was higher among younger adults and those with more years of education. Most (70–94%) respondents trusted the results; 78% were willing to have results sent automatically to their GP. If a problem were identified, discussing the results with a GP was a common and preferred action, but 14–38% of respondents (depending on health aspect) took no action. Males, older adults, those living in areas of high deprivation, and those with lower education were less likely to be willing to monitor their health. Main benefits were enhanced awareness of health, greater control, easier access to information, more balanced engagement with providers, and psychological support. Main problems included anxiety, obsessive testing, low self-efficacy for monitoring, poor motivation, post-monitoring inaction, misinterpretation of results, and technical concerns. Conclusions A high proportion of the UK public use/are willing to use and trust self-monitoring of health and wellness. It has the potential to transform care through proactive remote health management and preventative action. However, the findings also highlight socioeconomic differences in self-monitoring. Future research is needed to address how engagement of self-monitoring can be enhanced equitably and used effectively alongside clinical care to promote better health. Trial registration https://osf.io/96mzt .