RecycleHealth #ShareTheHealth

We started RecycleHealth based on a theory that those who could most benefit from wearable activity trackers are the people least likely to purchase them. You may not be surprised to hear that Fitbits and other wearables are most purchased by and marketed to younger and healthier demographics. You may recall seeing commercials filled with fit people in their athletic wear running down the street, checking out their steps on their wrist devices. One study of over 5,000 people found that 1/3 of people stop using their wearables within 6 months, either because they upgraded or didn't find it of value. We want to collect those used devices and give them a second life with underserved populations. Low-income households, minorities, and seniors are some of the groups that may not know about or be able to afford wearables, but that are most likely to suffer higher rates of health conditions, like obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and frailty. They may derive great benefit from wearables, if given a free one, to help them learn their baseline activity level and the impact of changes in behavior. RecycleHealth collects used devices to give to these populations, and, by providing surveys to people, measures the impact wearables have on fitness motivations and behaviors in these community. Our hope is to improve health and wellness in these groups, and eventually inform public health programs, such as those related to obesity and fall prevention. To date, we have collected over 200 used devices and are proud to have our postage-paid mailing labels at Macy's flagship store in NY by the Fitbit display. We have appeared in 16 press articles, have multiple student volunteers, and are prepping studies in more than seven community sites. Please check out our website to learn more.

Funded by Jumbos (April 2016)