Reducing risk of pressure sores: effects of watch prompts and alarm avoidance on wheelchair push-ups.

The team asked adults who use wheelchairs to do pressure-relief push-ups.

They gave each person a wristwatch that beeped every half hour.

If the person lifted up within 15 s, the beep stopped. If not, a loud alarm kept going.

The study used a multiple-baseline design across participants to test the package.

The watch-plus-alarm mix made people do far more push-ups than the beep alone.

Some good effect stayed after the alarm part ended, but not as strong.

Romanowicz et al. (2025) took the same wrist-prompt idea and slid it into a smartwatch. Parents got quick cues to use PCIT skills before their child melted down. The tech moved from simple beeps to digital nudges, but the core rule is the same: a wearable tells you when to act.

Allen et al. (2001) paired a wristwatch with hands-on guidance to stop aerophagia. Once the behavior dropped, the watch alone kept it low. Both papers show the wrist cue can keep control after other prompts fade.

Dudley et al. (2008) used real-time screen feedback to fix computer posture. Like the wheelchair study, they blended an antecedent cue with feedback. The target behavior differed, but the logic is identical: give a signal, show the result, and the body moves.

If you teach any health behavior that must happen on a schedule, strap on a cheap wrist cue and add a brief escape contingency. The person gets an easy prompt and a clear way to turn it off. You can fade the alarm later and still keep most of the gain. Try it Monday for pressure relief, stretching, or standing breaks.