Evaluating Glanceable Multi-Device Family Health Tracking with Smartwatches and Home Displays

2026-07-01

AI Summary

This study addresses the limited support for shared and collaborative health tracking among family members in existing personal health systems. To bridge this gap, the authors propose a multi-device redundant design that integrates smartwatches with household displays, accommodating diverse device usage habits and contextual needs within families. Through a nine-week field study employing a mixed-methods approach—combining log analysis and semi-structured interviews—the research compares three configurations (smartwatch-only, display-only, and combined) in tracking mood and goals. Findings indicate that the household display significantly increases tracking frequency and enhances children’s engagement stability, while the synergistic use of multiple devices fosters contextual awareness and collaborative behaviors both inside and outside the home, thereby establishing an inclusive, glanceable, and highly adaptive mechanism for family health information sharing.

Abstract

While ubiquitous computing research has explored diverse devices for personal health tracking, we know less about multi-device designs for family informatics, where health management is inherently collaborative. To understand how families adopt and perceive ubiquitous access to shared health data across contexts, we evaluated smartwatch-only, home display-only, and combined designs for tracking moods and goals, domains central to family health behavior regulation. 44 people across 12 families alternated between these designs over nine weeks. Log analysis revealed that mood tracking and goal reporting were significantly more frequent with the home display present compared to smartwatch-only use, despite an overall decline in mood tracking over time. Tracking peaked in afternoons, dropped on weekends, and occurred 2.6X more at home, with children tracking more consistently than adults across all designs. From interview analysis, we learned how family data glanceability on smartwatches supported opportunistic tracking and awareness while apart, whereas displays reminded families to self-track and collaborate during home routines including members that avoided wearables (e.g., non-participants). Multi-device redundancy accommodated diversity in routines, mobility patterns, and device preferences among members in the same family. We discuss opportunities for multi-device family informatics that accommodates different preferences through inclusive, glanceable, and adaptable ubiquitous data sharing.

Problem

• family informatics
• multi-device
• health tracking
• glanceable displays
• ubiquitous computing

Innovation

• multi-device family informatics
• glanceable health tracking
• smartwatch-home display synergy
• collaborative health behavior
• inclusive ubiquitous computing