Abstract

Objective: This study examined the relationships between smartwatch use, usage characteristics, and quality of life (QoL) among Saudi adults.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between August 2024 and February 2025 among Saudi adults aged ≥18 years recruited via social media platforms. Participants completed an online questionnaire capturing sociodemographic characteristics, smartwatch ownership, usage patterns, and QoL assessed using the validated Arabic version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale-BREF. Multivariable linear regression analyses were performed to identify factors independently associated with overall and domain-specific QoL scores after adjustment for relevant covariates.
Results: A total of 1,097 participants were included (mean age 27 ± 11 years; 65% female), of whom 42% reported smartwatch use. Smartwatch users had higher unadjusted overall QoL scores than nonusers (73.2 ± 19.1 vs. 69.4 ± 20.5; p = 0.002). After multivariable adjustment, engagement with health-monitoring features was independently associated with higher overall QoL (β = 4.79; p = 0.031) and higher physical and psychological domain scores. On the contrary, smartwatch ownership without active health-monitoring use was negatively associated with overall QoL (Apple Watch: β = -6.62; p = 0.033; Android-based devices: β = -9.03; p = 0.002).
Conclusion: Smartwatch use was heterogeneously associated with QoL among Saudi adults. Active engagement with health-monitoring functions was associated with more favorable QoL outcomes, whereas device ownership alone was not. These findings highlighted the importance of usage behavior, rather than mere adoption, in understanding the health implications of wearable technologies in multidisciplinary healthcare settings.

Key words: Wearable devices, smartwatch use, quality of life, WHOQoL-BREF, patient-reported out-comes, health behavior, population health, Saudi Arabia