research-article

Engaging with Health Data: The Interplay Between Self-Tracking Activities and Emotions in Fertility Struggles

Authors:

Mayara Costa Figueiredo,

Clara Caldeira,

Elizabeth Victoria Eikey,

Melissa Mazmanian,

Yunan ChenAuthors Info & Claims

Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction, Volume 2, Issue CSCW

Article No.: 40, Pages 1 - 20

https://doi.org/10.1145/3274309

Published: 01 November 2018 Publication History

Abstract

Self-tracking data is often seen as a means to reflect and achieve a goal, usually focusing on positive insights and actions. Lately, some studies have discussed the negative consequences of self-tracking, suggesting that people interact with personal data in different ways. We explored how self-tracking activities and the emotional context characterize how people engage with personal health data through the analysis of a complex and emotionally-loaded use case: fertility self-tracking. We qualitatively analyzed patient-generated content in an online health community dedicated to fertility. We found five distinct types of engagement with data: positive, burdened, obsessive, trapped, and abandoning. Each of them is composed of an action and an emotional component that mutually influence each other. We discuss how the interplay of these components characterize a person's engagement with data, how the online forum made these issues visible, and how they are embedded in the self-tracking culture. We also provide insights into the implications of these issues for self-tracking tools. Finally, we hypothesize how people transition through the types of relationships with data, suggesting directions for future research in the area.

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Index Terms

Engaging with Health Data: The Interplay Between Self-Tracking Activities and Emotions in Fertility Struggles

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cover image Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction

Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction Volume 2, Issue CSCW

November 2018

4104 pages

EISSN:2573-0142

DOI:10.1145/3290265

Editors:
Karrie Karahalios
University of Illinois & Adobe
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Andrés Monroy-Hernández
Snap Inc.
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Airi Lampinen
Stockholm University
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Geraldine Fitzpatrick
Vienna University of Technology

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Published: 01 November 2018

Published in PACMHCI Volume 2, Issue CSCW

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https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3689050.3704944
Werner MBischof A(2024)The double-edged sword of self-tracking: investigating factors of technostress in performance-oriented cycling and triathlonFrontiers in Sports and Active Living10.3389/fspor.2024.14655156Online publication date: 18-Nov-2024
https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2024.1465515
Gomula JWarner MBlandford A(2024)Women’s use of online health and social media resources to make sense of their polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) diagnosis: a qualitative studyBMC Women's Health10.1186/s12905-024-02993-524:1Online publication date: 5-Mar-2024
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-024-02993-5
Krämer SKottwitz GWoźniak MMeyer JKoelle M(2024)Stepping on the scale? Only in the morning, of course! - Exploring the Lived Experience of Consumer Self-Tracking Technology in the Context of Citizen ScienceProceedings of the 13th Nordic Conference on Human-Computer Interaction10.1145/3679318.3685372(1-17)Online publication date: 13-Oct-2024
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