Which of the following is an example of data collected for big data in health?

• A. Paper records only.
• B. Wearable device data.
• C. Directory listings.
• D. Social media posts.

Answer: (B)

Big data in health comes from sources that produce large amounts of health-related information quickly and in many forms, so patterns across populations can be detected and analyzed. Wearable device data fits this pattern because these devices continuously collect metrics like heart rate, activity, sleep, and sometimes oxygen levels from many people. This creates vast, real-time data streams that can be aggregated, cleaned, and analyzed to uncover trends, monitor health in real time, and support personalized care.

Paper records are static and require effort to digitize, which limits their usefulness for rapid, large-scale analysis. Directory listings aren’t health data per se, and social media posts, while they may reflect health signals, are noisy and not primarily gathered for health analytics.