HINTS‑7 finds low wearable sharing

A study published on May 21 in the *Journal of Clinical Medicine* found that U.S. cancer survivors are using wearable devices at meaningful rates, but most are not getting that data into clinical care. The paper analyzed HINTS-7, the National Cancer Institute’s 2024 Health Information National Trends Survey, to examine wearable adoption, physical activity and data-sharing behavior among cancer survivors and adults without a cancer history. The authors reported that 34.0% of cancer survivors used a wearable device, compared with 41.4% of adults without cancer. They also found a wide gap between stated willingness to share wearable data with providers and actual sharing. ### How large was the sharing gap? The study’s clearest number was the difference between intent and behavior among cancer-surviving wearable users. Zarmina Amin, Jessh Mavoungou, John Oginni and Zan Gao reported that 77.5% of those users said they were willing to share wearable data with providers, while 35.4% said they had actually shared it. The paper said that clinical integration of wearable data “remains limited” despite that stated willingness. (mdpi.com) The sample included 6,084 U.S. adults, and the authors used survey weights and jackknife replication methods to generate population-level estimates. The analysis was cross-sectional, meaning it describes associations in the survey rather than proving that wearable use caused any clinical or behavioral change. ### What did the study say about adoption among survivors? (mdpi.com) Cancer survivors were less likely than adults without cancer to report wearable use, according to the paper’s weighted estimates. The study put wearable adoption at 34.0% for survivors and 41.4% for adults without a cancer history. That makes survivor adoption substantial, but not universal, in a population that often has ongoing follow-up needs. (mdpi.com) The National Cancer Institute describes HINTS as a nationally representative survey that tracks the public’s knowledge of, attitudes toward and use of cancer- and health-related information. HINTS 7 public-use data from 2024 are now available for download, according to the agency’s website. ### Did wearable use track with physical activity? The paper found that wearable users were more likely to meet physical activity guidelines. (mdpi.com) The authors reported odds ratios of 1.79 to 1.97 for meeting physical activity guidelines among wearable users, with the association stronger among cancer survivors than among adults without cancer. The study defined meeting guidelines as at least 150 minutes per week of moderate activity. (hints.cancer.gov) The authors did not present the result as proof that the devices themselves improved activity. Instead, the paper said wearable use was associated with meeting physical activity guidelines at the population level and could have relevance for cancer survivors. ### If people are willing to share, what seems to be missing? The paper’s own conclusion focused on integration rather than device ownership. (mdpi.com) The authors wrote that the findings highlight “a gap between digital engagement and healthcare use” and said strategies are needed to improve integration of patient-generated data into care. That leaves a narrower product and care-delivery question than simple device adoption. (mdpi.com) The study shows many survivors already generate passive data, and many say they would share it. The bottleneck, based on the paper’s findings, appears to be whether that information can be moved into a form that clinicians and patients actually use in follow-up care. That is an inference from the study’s reported willingness-sharing gap and its conclusion on limited clinical integration. ### Where can readers check the underlying dataset? The article was published on May 21, 2026, in *Journal of Clinical Medicine* under DOI 10.3390/jcm15103984. The National Cancer Institute’s HINTS website says HINTS 7 public-use data from 2024 are available for download, along with codebooks and related publications for researchers who want to examine the survey directly. (mdpi.com)