title: Our self-tracking movement and health literacy: are we really making every moment count?
abstract: There is a growing movement related to self-tracking in the quest for better health. Why do so many people like to use 'intelligent tools' like shiny sensors or mobile apps to keep an eye on every move? Do they really help us drive sustained healthy behavioral changes? Despite technological advances and product promises, we must remember that technology alone does not facilitate change to optimize health benefits. The purpose of the commentary is to pose the question: How 'health literate' do we have to be to reap the actionable health benefits of self-tracking? Research has revealed the prevalence of limited health literacy across the globe. Health literacy involves a complex set of inter-connected skills, including acting upon health information. This commentary puts attention on health literacy as an essential human tool to better equip people to overcome barriers and use devices to leverage their full potential.
authors.affiliation: 1. Institute of Biology Education, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vamos
authors.affiliation: 1. Institute of Biology Education, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Klein
mesh_terms: D057220:Health Literacy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008490:Medical Informatics / Q000295:instrumentation*; D063731:Mobile Applications
keywords: barriers; behavior change; health literacy; personal informatics; self-tracking