(Editor’s note: The Broadband Report is a regular feature in WRAL TechWire.)

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. – More than a quarter of U.S. broadband households own and use at least one connected health device, according to research firm Parks Associates.

The new connected health research revealed last week at 2014 Connected Health Summit in California notes that 27 percent of U.S. broadband households currently own and use at least one connected health device.

The survey data captured earlier this year of more than 5,000 U.S. broadband households also found 13 percent of broadband households are “very likely” to purchase a connected health device in the next 12 months.

Digital Health Consumers: A Lifestyle and Technology Segmentation analyzes consumer health habits and segments the market according to lifestyles and personal health conditions. It then identifies which segments are most and least receptive to digital health products and services and provides a demographic and technographic profile of each segment.

Harry Wang, director of health and mobile product research at Parks Associates, said the most popular connected health devices are treadmills, exercise bikes and elliptical machines.

“These devices come with built-in support for mobile health apps, which effectively merges the demands of mobile and healthcare consumers,” he said. “Wearables are another developing area for digital health, and this market is getting increasingly competitive … to be successful in connected health, all form factors will need to leverage mobile connections in order to keep users engaged.”

Previously released research from Parks Associates showed that more than 32 million American consumers will actively track their personal health and fitness online or via mobile by 2016. If Apple’s iWatch incorporates breakthrough wellness and fitness tracking functions and supports innovative partnerships with health industry incumbents, the market adoption could be much higher in the next few years, Wang predicted.

At the Connected Health Summit this week, industry leaders are sharing how social engagement, mobile technologies, apps, and health big data are reshaping consumer interests and behaviors.

“Emerging solution providers have innovative strategies and business models for integrating health monitoring and wellness tracking into their service platforms, all with a keen focus on the consumer,” Wang closed.