PURPOSE: Creating a healthy lifestyle is important across different life stages. Commercial smart wearable devices are an innovative and interesting approach as an early psychological intervention for modifying health-related behaviors. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the effects of smart wearable devices on health-promoting lifestyles and quality of life. METHODS: The study design was a three-parallel randomized controlled trial with a 3-month intervention. Two commercial smart wearable devices (smartwatches and smart bracelets) with different levels of complicated functions were applied as a psychological intervention in comparison with a smartphone app as the control group. Participants were healthy young adults with a median age of 26 years. Outcome measurements were conducted by self-administered questionnaires. Chi-square tests and ANOVA were performed for testing the difference of participants at baseline, and generalized estimating equations were performed for testing the effect of the intervention. RESULTS: At the beginning, 81 participants were recruited and 73 participants completed the study. Results of a healthy lifestyle demonstrated significant group effects of exercise and a significant effect of the interaction for self-actualization and stress management in the experimental group with a smartwatch (self-actualization MD 0.35 (-0.10 to 0.80); exercise MD 0.21 (-0.33 to 0.75); stress management MD 0.36 (-0.04 to 0.76)) by comparing with only using mobile app (self-actualization MD -0.03 (-0.25 to 0.18); exercise MD -0.12 (-0.38 to 0.14); stress management MD -0.28 (-0.55 to 0.00)). The significant effect of group-by-time interaction for self-actualization was found in the experimental group with a smart bracelet (MD 0.05 (-0.30 to 0.20)) by comparing with the control group. The GEE-adjusted model indicated significant effects of the interaction on the comprehensive, physical, and mental quality of life in the experimental group with the smartwatch (comprehensive MD 0.24 (-0.04 to 0.52); physical MD 0.67 (0.26 to 1.09); mental MD 0.72 (0.29 to 1.16)) by comparing with the control group (comprehensive MD -1.57 (-2.55 to -0.59); physical MD 0.25 (0.00 to 0.50); mental MD 0.08 (-0.11 to 0.27)). CONCLUSION: From a psychological perspective, smart wearable devices have potential benefits of shaping a healthy lifestyle and improving the quality of life. Enhancing the utility of commercial well-designed smart wearable devices is an innovative and effective strategy for promoting public health.

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