The Effect of the Motivation of Wearable Fitness Devices Use on Exercise Engagement: The Mediating Effect of Exercise Commitment

Background. In the study of wearable device users, it was found that the intentional motives for using wearable devices were a novelty, fun, and popular trends, but whether the needs and functions of device users will change due to the change the time is the focus of this study. Objectives. This study aims to examine the path relationships among motivation of use, exercise commitment, and exercise engagement of users of wearable fitness devices. Methods. The subjects of the study were users of wearable fitness devices. The questionnaires were distributed online through purposive sampling. A total of 479 questionnaires were distributed, and 347 valid questionnaires were collected after excluding invalid questionnaires with an effective response rate of 72.4%. The response data were validated by descriptive statistics, confirmatory factor analysis, and a structural equation model. Results. The results of the study reveal that users of wearable fitness devices are mainly motivated by “informativeness” and “practicality and instrumentation”; motivation of use does not directly affect exercise engagement (t = 0.895, P < 0.056). Exercise commitment is mediating between the motivation of use and exercise engagement; motivation of use positively affects exercise commitment, and exercise commitment positively affects exercise engagement (t = 3.856, P < 0.001). Conclusion. Wearable device users believe that the wearable devices can record their own exercise-related information, enhance exercise efficiency, and provide an easy-to-understand interface with a sense of entertainment and novelty technology, which support the device users to engage in physical activities. Commitment to exercise will influence the individual's continued engagement in exercise.