Benefits of a wearable activity tracker with safety features for older adults : an intervention study

Hvalič Touzery, Simona (author), Šetinc, Mojca (author), Dolničar, Vesna (author)

Accidental falls and physical inactivity are important age-related issues for which smart technologies have demonstrated potential utility. This research aimed to explore the benefits of combining wearable activity monitors and telecare for older adults. A four-month interventional study was conducted between June 2021 and February 2022 in Slovenia. A purposive sample of 22 dyads of older adults aged 60 years and over and their relatives or family members used a wearable GoLiveClip device. The Pillar Integration Process was used to analyze the quantitative and qualitative data. Seven pillars emerged: (1) the use of smart technologies as a motivator for physical activity; (2) factors related to smart technology use affecting physical activity levels; (3) increased usefulness of smart technologies for users who completed the study; (4) activity monitoring as the most useful functionality of the solution; (5) the influence of technical problems on usefulness; (6) the influence of age and previous experience with smart technologies on usefulness; and (7) moderate psychological effects of smart technology use. Activity trackers were found to effectively promote physical activity in older adults, and safety features were shown to be an important part of the solution, regardless of health status or physical activity level.

• Language: English
• Keywords: smart technology, telecare, physical activity, safety, older adults, mixed methods, Pillar Integration Process, GoLiveClip
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FDV - Faculty of Social Sciences
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2022
• Number of pages: 26 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 19, iss. 23, art. 15723
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-142860
• UDC: 364.692-053.9
• ISSN on article: 1660-4601
• DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192315723
• COBISS.SI-ID: 131595267
• Publication date in RUL: 30.11.2022

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: International journal of environmental research and public health
• Shortened title: Int. j. environ. res. public health
• Publisher: MDPI
• ISSN: 1660-4601
• COBISS.SI-ID: 1818965

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: starostniki, tehnologija, varnost