The trend: Gen Zers are more likely than older generations to change health behaviors based on data from health trackers and apps, according to a recent survey from Abbott conducted by Kantar.

• 69% of Gen Z and millennials used a health tracker or health app in the past year, compared with 47% of Gen X and 48% of baby boomers.
• Notably, 93% of Gen Zers made positive behavior changes compared with 89% of millennials, 76% of Gen Xers, and 66% of boomers.

Why it matters: Health tracking is widespread among younger consumers, but Gen Z stands out for acting on the data to make both long-term and short-term changes.

• 58% of Gen Zers made long-term health changes based on wearable data, while 35% made temporary health changes.
• 51% of millennials made long-term changes, and 37% made temporary changes.
• 41% of Gen Xers made long-term changes, and 35% made temporary changes.
• 38% of boomers made long-term changes, and 37% made temporary changes.

Implications for health tech companies and health app makers: Even among Gen Zers, there’s a gap between making temporary and lasting healthcare changes based on health data. That creates an opportunity for AI-powered features to close that gap and drive habit formation across generations. More than 76% of consumers say they want personalized insights from health apps that help them understand their health over time.

The next wave of health apps will be judged on how they help users change and sustain healthier habits, with success increasingly tied to retention, adherence, and ongoing engagement. Developers will need to focus on features that translate personalization into measurable user action beyond insights, such as nudges, goal setting, and dynamic coaching.

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