AIA: Health insurance company says Apple Watch can increase people's activity by up to 35%

Australia's AIA Health Insurance (AIA) says that giving away Apple Watches to people who reach certain fitness goals has increased its users' activity by an average of 35%. In 2020, AIA Health Insurance introduced Apple Watch to its Vitality program. Members who choose to sign up will receive a free Apple Watch as long as they continue to reach specific health goals set for them.

"When comparing physical activity in 2019 and 2020, for Apple Watch users who participated in the AIA Vitality program last year, we saw an average 35% increase in activity year-over-year. The age group with the most significant improvement in physical activity was people aged 50 and over, whose activity increased by 51% year-over-year," said AIA.

"The rich health and well-being insights that Apple Watch users gain from the device, combined with the behavioral principle of 'loss aversion' that has been formally incorporated into the AIA Vitality Well-Being Program, have resulted in substantial increases in activity levels for participants." The AIA examined the results of 1,198 of its members. In order for the results to be comparable, the respondents had to have both opted into the Apple Watch program and been a full member of the AIA during 2019.

The company also compared data from the previous year to rule out the possibility of random results.

“Throughout 2018-19, members’ physical activity remained steady at pre-activity build levels,” the company said, “and then increased significantly following the launch of the Apple Watch benefit in 2020.”

AIA Vitality members’ subsequent exercise behavior was reasonably consistent in the two years following the introduction of the Apple Watch benefit, demonstrating that the program truly drove members who chose to join the benefit to increase their physical activity using Apple Watch.

From cnBeta.COM