An examination of risk and usage perception in wearable technological products: A study on fitness center participants

This study aims to examine the usage perceptions of fitness center participants who use smartwatches toward wearable technological sports products, as well as the risks they perceive during the purchase decision process, in terms of various demographic variables, and to determine the relationship between these two variables. Using a descriptive and correlational survey design, the sample of the study consisted of 443 participants selected through purposive sampling from fitness centers in the province of Konya. The data were collected using a "Personal Information Form," the "Perceived Risk Scale for Wearable Technological Products," and the "Wearable Technological Sports Products Usage Perception Scale." Descriptive statistics, independent samples t-tests, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), Pearson correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis were employed in the data analysis. The findings revealed that participants' overall perceived risk regarding wearable technological products was at a moderate level (3.02±0.68). Among the sub-dimensions of perceived risk, financial risk was found to be the highest (3.68±1.02), while social risk was the lowest (2.55±0.97). According to gender, female participants exhibited significantly higher levels of performance and financial risk perception compared to male participants. Positive and significant relationships were found between age and physical risk, time risk, and overall perceived risk. It was observed that as income level increased, social risk, financial risk, and overall perceived risk also increased. Participants with postgraduate education had higher perceptions of time risk than those in other education groups. In addition, the duration of fitness center use created significant differences across all risk dimensions, with participants who used fitness centers for 2–4 hours displaying the highest levels of perceived risk. The usage perception of wearable technological sports products was found to be at a moderate-to-high level (3.48±0.77), with the highest sub-dimension being the intention to continue use (3.64±0.88). Female participants were found to have significantly higher usage perceptions than male participants. The results of the regression analysis examining the relationship between perceived risk and usage perception indicated that all risk dimensions negatively affected usage perception, with performance risk having the strongest effect (β = −0.286). It was determined that perceived risks explained 20.7% of the variance in usage perception. Overall, the results demonstrate that perceived risks toward wearable technological products vary according to demographic characteristics and have a significant impact on usage perceptions.