Anxiety Associated With the Use of the Electrocardiogram Function in Smart Watches

The integration of electrocardiography (ECG) functionality into smartwatches is primarily intended to screen for atrial fibrillation, a frequent cause of ischemic stroke, among people aged 50 years and older. However, it should be noted that recommendations for atrial fibrillation screening are controversial, and several organizations and communities do not recommend screening outside of at-risk groups.

Some smart device manufacturers do not recommend using the ECG function for anyone under the age of 22. However, young people are frequent users of wearable devices. One of the most common cardiologic diseases at the age of 18-30 is benign heart rhythm disorder, which often does not require diagnosis or treatment and can be considered normal.

That said, notification of the detection of atrial fibrillation can affect psycho-emotional well-being, particularly anxiety.

This study will assess the level of psycho-emotional health (anxiety level) of the study participants. Participant observation will provide an opportunity to identify associations between the use of the ECG recording function on wearable devices and levels of anxiety and depression. It is hypothesized that the use of smartwatches with the ECG function activated will not lead to a change in anxiety levels on the GAD-7 scale among the study participants. This assumes that after 30 days of use, the mean value of the GAD-7 scale in the intervention group and the control group will be the same.