Strategic approach to privacy calculus of wearable device user regarding information disclosure and continuance intention

The healthcare and fitness wearable-device market is considered as the driving force of the entire wearable device market. However, there are concerns with respect to information privacy because wearable devices constantly collect sensitive data such as individuals’ health information. Thus, there is a need for a comprehensive understanding from the perspective of information privacy concerns and related behavior. This study investigates factors considered in the privacy calculus of wearable fitness devices, and verifies differences obtained by the privacy calculus process according to the frequency of exercise. The results obtained from a survey of 248 undergraduate students in Korea revealed that service providers should consider users’ interests and exercise characteristics in order to mitigate their privacy concerns and encourage continuous use of wearable devices. This study provides useful insights pertaining to users of wearable fitness devices, and targets researchers and practitioners.