Nearly three-quarters of U.S. adults plan to purchase health and fitness devices in the next year, according to a survey by the Consumer Technology Association, MobiHealthNews reports.

The survey polled 1,001 U.S. adults online between Aug. 20 and Sep. 2.

Survey Findings

Of those who said they likely will purchase health and fitness devices within the next year:

• 35% plan to buy a smartwatch;
• 30% plan to buy fitness-related applications;
• 27% plan to buy a dedicated fitness device;
• 27% plan to buy smart apparel; and
• 23% plan to buy a device that tracks sleep patterns.

Among respondents who plan to purchase a device with a focus on fitness, the most desired features were to monitor:

• Calories burned, cited by 61%;
• Heart rate, cited by 52%;
• Steps taken, cited by 42%;
• Distance traveled, cited by 34%; and
• Blood pressure, cited by 23%.

Meanwhile, among those who plan to purchase a device with a focus on health, the most desired features were to monitor:

• Heart rate, cited by 58%;
• Calories burned, cited by 48%;
• Blood pressure, cited by 47%;
• Steps taken, cited by 28%; and
• Distance traveled, cited by 21%.

Consumers said they were most influenced to purchase health and fitness devices by:

• Friends or family members, cited by 44%;
• Online suggestions, cited by 17%;
• Medical professionals, cited by 11%;
• Corporate wellness programs, cited by 4% (Pai, MobiHealthNews, 12/10); and
• In-store salespeople, cited by 4% (CTA survey, 12/10).

In a statement, CTA Senior Director of Market Research Steve Koenig said the group's "qualitative and quantitative research distinctly shows health and fitness devices help consumers feel they're more successful in setting personal fitness and health goals and tracking progress, and that their lives are improved by these devices" (MobiHealthNews, 12/10).

Many Open To Sharing Data, but Privacy Concerns Remain

Meanwhile, the survey findings suggest that consumers are open to sharing their fitness data with friends and family but are most comfortable sharing such information with their physicians. According to the study, consumers believe that sharing data with physicians can facilitate better tracking and management of their health, but many are concerned about data breaches involving personal health information (CTA survey, 12/10).

Revenue From Health, Fitness Devices

The organization projected that revenue from the sale of health and fitness devices in 2015 will reach $1.8 billion, led by activity tracking devices. The increase marks an 18% year-to-year growth. Meanwhile, CTA predicted that revenue from such devices would increase by 10% next year (MobiHealthNews, 12/10).