Apple Watch can accurately predict stress levels, study shows

News from the webmaster’s home on December 30: According to a study conducted by researchers at the University of Waterloo in Canada, the Apple Watch can accurately predict stress levels.

Using the ECG sensor on the Apple Watch Series 6, the researchers found a strong correlation between ECG data, including the heart’s ability to accelerate and decelerate, and the stress levels participants reported while taking the readings. Machine learning algorithms were then developed using this information to create a predictive model.

These stress models are said to have “high levels of precision” but low recall (recall is the proportion of all positive instances that a model or system can correctly identify. For example, if a A spam filter has a low recall, then it might miss some spam, even if it’s obvious.). The study concluded that the Apple Watch has “promising” potential for stress prediction and suggested that even more data points could be integrated into stress as the device collects additional health information, such as sleep and activity information. model to improve the accuracy of its predictions.

The researchers speculate that the Apple Watch could be used to aid mental health care, providing activities such as breathing exercises to counteract stress signals and respond early to changes in mental health. Competing devices from Samsung, Fitbit, and Garmin have offered stress-scoring features for some time, but Apple has yet to implement such a feature in its Health app.