New data shows the impact of Apple Watch usage on physical activity

PRESS RELEASE
14 February 2022 dot 5 mins read
Melbourne, 14 February 2022. Life and health insurer AIA Australia has released new data that shows members of its wellbeing program that use Apple Watch have increased their physical activity by up to 51 per cent in a year.

Since July 2020, members of the AIA Vitality program have had the opportunity to earn an Apple Watch by reaching weekly physical activity targets. Members who choose to take up the benefit receive the Apple Watch upfront and can then reduce their monthly payments to zero by meeting physical activity goals.

AIA Australia has found that the rich health and wellbeing insights Apple Watch users gain, combined with the behavioural science principle of "loss aversion" that has been utilised in the design of the benefit, has led to significant improvements in physical activity. When comparing physical activity in 2019 and 2020 for those who took up AIA Vitality's Apple Watch benefit last year, AIA Australia has seen activity increase by 35 per cent on average. The age group with the most significant improvement in physical activity was those 50 years and older, who saw a 51 per cent increase.

AIA Australia's results reflect an earlier landmark RAND Europe study of more than 400,000 Vitality members in the United Kingdom, United States of America and South Africa, which found:
 
  • Participants using Apple Watch had a sustained increase in activity
  • Activity increased across the full spectrum of Vitality participants, regardless of health status, age or gender.
The Apple Watch benefit is an expansion of AIA Vitality's Active Benefits program, which uses behavioural science, personalised goal setting and micro-rewards to create positive habits around physical activity. Since its launch, the Active Benefits program has seen a significant and sustained increase in activity levels among members.

CEO and Managing Director of AIA Australia and New Zealand, Damien Mu, said that the data highlighted the role that the right tools and engagement can play in helping people live healthier, longer, better lives. 

"We believe strongly in the research and science-backed approach of our AIA Vitality program. Higher engagement in physical activity is directly correlated to better health outcomes, and these results show how powerful the use of Apple Watch can be when combined with a program like ours, to motivate and engage Australians to take small steps to improve their health and wellbeing."

To learn more about AIA Australia's Apple Watch Benefit visit: https://www.aia.com.au/en/individual/aia-vitality/partners-and-rewards/apple-watch.html

Contact:    Sarah Phillips
                   AIA Australia
                   T: +61 498 494 791
                   E: Sarah.Phillips@aia.com
About AIA Vitality
 
The AIA Vitality program has been designed to educate, empower and incentivise members to understand their health and to make lifestyle changes with the aim of decreasing their risk of developing chronic disease. 

Research published by AIA Australia earlier this year shows that there are five modifiable behaviours that have a major impact on disease and death in Australia – physical inactivity, poor nutrition, smoking, excess alcohol and our interaction with the environment. By focusing on four core wellbeing pillars: physical activity, (Move Well), nutrition (Eat Well), mental wellbeing (Think Well) and preventive measures (Plan Well), AIA Vitality addresses and integrates these key modifiable behaviours.

AIA Australia takes privacy seriously and is bound by the Privacy Act and other laws which protect participants' privacy. AIA Vitality members must consent to sharing health and fitness data with AIA Australia in order to participate, and customer data used in this study is aggregated and non-identifiable. In addition, participants benefit from the strong privacy protection built into every iPhone and Apple Watch.
 
About AIA Australia
 
AIA Australia is a leading life insurance specialist with over 48 years' experience and a commitment to help Australians live healthier, longer, better lives. In 2014 the company launched AIA Vitality, a world leading, science-based health and wellbeing program, to the Australian market. In July 2017, AIA and its partners launched AIA's health insurance business, now known as AIA Health Insurance.
 
In 2021, CommInsure Life was integrated into AIA Australia. The lives of more than 3.8 million Australians are protected and enhanced through AIA Australia's unique value proposition of life, health and wellbeing. Our vision is to embrace shared value in championing Australia and New Zealand to be the healthiest and best protected nations in the world.
 
AIA Australia has been recognised with multiple awards, including the Women in Finance Employer of the Year Award (2018, 2019), Super Review's Best Insurer of the Year (2018, 2019), iSelect Partner Awards Insurer of the Year (2019), Insurance Asia International Life Insurer of the Year (Australia, 2020), Shared Value Awards Corporate Organisation Leading Through Shared Value (2019) and Shared Value Awards Organisation of the Year (2020).
 
Further information at www.aia.com.au
Copyright © 2021 AIA Australia Limited (ABN 79 004 837 861 AFSL 230043). The information in this article is current at the date of issue and may be subject to change. This is general information only, without taking into account factors like the objectives, financial situation, needs or personal circumstances of any individual and is not intended to be financial, legal, tax, medical, nutritional, health, fitness or other advice.