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The development of wearable technology has significantly changed the way people participate in physical activities. The purpose of this paper is to segment users of sports wearable devices based on technology readiness (TR).

Participants comprised a convenience sample of 356 participants using sports wearable devices in South Korea. Cluster analysis was performed to identify clusters of sports wearable users based on their TR (i.e. motivating and inhibiting beliefs regarding technologies). Analysis of variance and post hoc Tukey’s test were used to determine whether there were significant differences among the clusters.

Clustering identified three groups of users of sports wearable devices: Explorers (high motivation, low inhibition), Laggards (low motivation, high inhibition) and Pioneers (high motivation, high inhibition). Each group demonstrated significant differences in TR (i.e. optimism, innovativeness, discomfort and insecurity). It also found that Laggards are more likely to be female and older users (i.e. over 40 years old).

This study explores characteristics of possible market segments and provides a better understanding of user profiles of sports wearable devices. These findings provide insightful implications for marketers of sports wearable devices, who can tailor marketing strategies to each segment. Designers of sports wearable devices can benefit from the user profiles and develop more appropriate products for users.

This study aims to examine the wearable devices market as an essential representative of the digital age using a framework based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) and the context of sports wearables.

411 people, are both users and non-users of this technology were surveyed online, and the obtained data analyzed using structural equation modeling.

The results support the effects of performance expectancy, effort expectancy, facilitating conditions, and social influence on attitude toward sports wearables and attitude of usage intention. Further, technophobia moderates the relationship between performance expectancy and attitude. However, a moderating effect of technophobia on the relationship between effort expectancy and attitude was not observed.

Due to innovative technologies in the digital age we live in, the devices we use in everyday life have gained intelligence. As more developments take place, and related products enter the market, understanding how people react to these products becomes an important issue. While investigating this issue in the context of sports wearables in this study, an important psychological construct, technophobia, was included in the research model in order to explore the usage intention of individuals through the effects of psychological constructs, such as paranoia, fear, anxiety, cybernetic revolt and cellphone avoidance, and the strong combination of important constructs of phobia to go against technology.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate consumers’ acceptance and use of sports and fitness wearable devices based on technology readiness (TR). In addition, the technology readiness and acceptance model (TRAM) will be used to investigate consumers’ intention to use sports wearable devices (for simplicity, sports wearable devices will be simplified to the term “sports wearables”).

Convenience sampling was conducted from Korean consumers (n=247). Data were analyzed by partial least squares–structural equation modeling using SmartPLS 3.0.

The results found that positive TR has a positive influence on perceived ease of use (PEOU) and perceived usefulness (PU), and negative TR had a negative influence on PEOU and PU. PEOU had a positive influence on perceived usefulness (PU). Both PEOU and PU led to intention to use sports wearable devices. Also, the multi-group analysis found a positive correlation between TR and PEOU for especially male users.

The findings of this study provide a better understanding of consumers’ behavioral intent to use sports wearables. Particularly, it also provides evidence that the TRAM is an appropriate framework for predicting users’ intention to use sports wearables. This study also stresses the important role of TR in consumers’ psychological processes leading up to the actual use of novel sports wearables.

This study explores the drivers behind sports technology use and identifies the need for a new conceptualization of sports technology adoption. To address this issue, the authors create a new construct, “context-awareness,” with four dimensions: tracking, coaching, sharing and gamification.

The paper uses a mixed-method approach, including in-depth interviews and partial least squares structural equation modeling. The proposed model combines technology acceptance frameworks with the Sports Motivation Scale and a novel context-awareness scale. It is empirically tested with a diverse sample of 600 respondents to identify use-intention differences according to sports motivation and sport types.

The paper reveals group differences in sports type (dynamic vs nondynamic) and sports motivation (intrinsic vs extrinsic) regarding sports technology use. It also suggests that perceived technology characteristics mediate the relationship between context-aware features and intention to use.

This research introduces a new construct of “context-awareness” into the literature on new technology acceptance. The proposed model combines insights from information systems, sports science, sports marketing and sports medicine to explain the adoption of complex technology.

In advanced societies, lifestyles are increasingly sedentary, and it is important to identify strategies to help people acquire healthy habits, such as exercise. The present study proposes the use of gamification as a strategy for encouraging users to exercise regularly, based on the possibilities offered by “smart” devices such as smartbands.

The work analyzes how individuals experience their participation in a gamification program, on the premise that it should provide an experience that is intrinsically motivating and fun. Also the moderator effect of the gender and age on the relationship between their experience of participating in a gamification program and perceived self-efficacy.

The results show that individuals' experience of participating in a gamification program exerts a positive influence on their perceived self-efficacy in the practice of sport or exercise. The study also finds that the variables “gender” and “age” moderate the relationship between their experience of participating in a gamification program and perceived self-efficacy, such that it exerts a greater influence on women and older people.

The practical implications for the professionals and institutions involved in promoting the adoption of regular sport and exercise in society are about taking advantage of the potential of wearable technology such as smartbands. The present study finds that the use of gamification for encouraging people to adopt regular physical activity is more effective for women than for men, and for older people than for younger users.

The findings of this study provide a better understanding of whether gamification is an appropriate strategy for helping participants to perceive themselves as having greater self-efficacy in their chosen sport or exercise, taking into account the moderating effect of participant gender and age.

This study was conducted to examine the effect of co-branding, a brand partnership tactic involving two or more brands, on consumer behavior within the sport industry. As such, the primary aim was to examine differences regarding consumers' perceptions of self-image congruence and perceived product quality when considering solo-branding and co-branding conditions. Further, under the co-branding condition, relationships among consumers' self-image congruence, perceived product quality, image fit, product evaluation and purchase intention were investigated.

A scenario-based quasi-experiment consisting of hypothetical co-branding initiatives between existing brands was conducted.

Results from a repeated multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) indicated that consumers' symbolic and functional perceptions of co-branding as well as evaluations were statistically higher than in the solo-branding condition. Additionally, structural equation modeling indicated positive relationships between consumers' symbolic and functional perceptions, image fit, evaluation and behavior intention.

This study is one of the first papers to investigate the impact of co-branding on consumers within the sport industry and provides evidence of the positive impact of co-branding strategies on consumer behavior within the sport industry.

This empirical study examines the drivers of consumer intention to adopt wearable technology for healthcare in a South American country. Specifically, it proposes and tests a model of nonuser consumer intention to adopt fitness trackers for healthcare purpose in Chile.

This study draws on the technology acceptance framework UTAUT2 to develop and test a conceptual model of wearable technology adoption. Data were collected through an online survey applied to 470 nonusers of wearable technology in Santiago, Chile.

Findings indicate that hedonic motivation, social influence and perceived usefulness have the strongest influence on intention to adopt fitness trackers in Chile for healthcare. In addition, health motivation is an indirect predictor of consumer's intention to adopt wearable technology through its effect on perceived usefulness.

The study contributes to a better understanding of consumer intention to adopt wearable technology for healthcare objectives in a less developed country in South America. Findings are useful for wearable technology managers, retail business and public policymakers.

Despite the vast growth and importance of wearable technology for healthcare purposes, academic research considering less developed countries is scarce, especially the South American region. The proposed model and findings can extend this research gap. Theoretical and managerial implications are discussed as well as implications for public policy.

There are two-fold objectives to this research. First is to analyse the importance of technology readiness (TR) for the users in using sports and fitness wearable devices in India. And second is to explore if gymnasium (gym) users are much more technologically ready as compared to non-gym users to use sports and fitness wearable devices.

The study uses technology readiness and acceptance model (TRAM) to examine the users' intention to use sports and fitness wearable devices. Data from a survey of 907 respondents from India were collected and partial least squares (PLS)-structural equation modelling (SEM) technique was used to empirically examine it.

The outcomes reveal that innovativeness and optimism have a positive influence on perceived ease of use (PEOU) and perceived usefulness (PU), and insecurity and discomfort have a negative influence on PEOU and PU. Both PEOU and PU act as important determinants in the user's intention to use sports and fitness wearable devices. The multi-group analysis (MGA) suggests that gym users tend to exhibit more positive intention towards using sports and fitness wearable devices and show higher probability of using the wearable devices relative to non-gym users.

There are hardly any studies on intention to use sports and fitness wearable devices in India. The current research tries to understand the intention behind the gym users and non-gym users to use sports and fitness wearable devices. The outcomes of the research will help the marketers to align their promotional campaign based on the new segmentation variable “gym-user/non-gym user”. The research also highlights the importance of TR in the use of sports and fitness wearable devices in India.

This paper aims to concentrate on recent innovations in flexible wearable sensor technology tailored for monitoring vital signals within the contexts of wearable sensors and systems developed specifically for monitoring health and fitness metrics.

In recent decades, wearable sensors for monitoring vital signals in sports and health have advanced greatly. Vital signals include electrocardiogram, electroencephalogram, electromyography, inertial data, body motions, cardiac rate and bodily fluids like blood and sweating, making them a good choice for sensing devices.

This report reviewed reputable journal articles on wearable sensors for vital signal monitoring, focusing on multimode and integrated multi-dimensional capabilities like structure, accuracy and nature of the devices, which may offer a more versatile and comprehensive solution.

The paper provides essential information on the present obstacles and challenges in this domain and provide a glimpse into the future directions of wearable sensors for the detection of these crucial signals. Importantly, it is evident that the integration of modern fabricating techniques, stretchable electronic devices, the Internet of Things and the application of artificial intelligence algorithms has significantly improved the capacity to efficiently monitor and leverage these signals for human health monitoring, including disease prediction.

Customers’ innovativeness regarding services and products affects their purchase behavior. The purpose of this paper is to examine the moderation effect of fitness innovativeness (FI) (domain-specific innovativeness) and duration of stay on fitness customers’ revisit frequency.

This is a quantitative study. The purposive sampling survey method was used to obtain samples from the Taipei Nangang Fitness Center. Data were analyzed by moderated regression analysis.

The empirical results from 192 valid questionnaires that were obtained for data analysis revealed that FI has a positive impact on revisit frequency, and this impact is further increased if an individual is inclined to exercise and to stay longer at the fitness center.

A matrix of fitness innovator segments was developed to illustrate the research and managerial implications.