A case study on older adults' long-term use of an activity tracker.

Background A lack of physical activity can jeopardise older adults' health whereas activity tracking by means of wearable technologies (activity trackers) can help to promote physical activity. It is, however, unanswered how older people use such technologies in non-experimental contexts. Objectives...

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Publicado en:Gerontechnology Vol. 16; no. 2; pp. 115 - 125
Autor principal: Schlomann, Anna
Formato: case study research tables/charts Journal Article
Publicado: International Society for Gerontechnology 2017
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
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      pub: International Society for Gerontechnology
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        atl: A case study on older adults' long-term use of an activity tracker.
      aug:
        au: Schlomann, Anna
        affil: Doctoral Programme GROW "Gerontological Research on Well-Being", University of Cologne, Faculty of Human Science, Cologne, Germany
      sug:
        subj:
          Fitness Trackers Utilization
          Monitoring, Physiologic
          Physical Activity Evaluation
          Attitude to Change In Old Age
          Technology Utilization
          Human
          Semi-Structured Interview
          Telephone
          Wearable Sensors
          Prospective Studies
          Interviews
          Content Analysis
          Comparative Studies
          Aged
          Accelerometers Utilization
          Motivation
          Exercise
          Aged: 65+ years
      ab: Background A lack of physical activity can jeopardise older adults' health whereas activity tracking by means of wearable technologies (activity trackers) can help to promote physical activity. It is, however, unanswered how older people use such technologies in non-experimental contexts. Objectives This paper aims at understanding older adults' long-term use of an activity tracker, at identifying reasons for continued or abandoned use and at evaluating possible effects of activity tracking on the level of physical activity. Methods Semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with participants of a long-term follow-up study on the use of an activity tracker (ViFit connect Activity Tracker). They were asked about their experiences with an activity tracker during the last year. Interviews were analysed using qualitative content analysis and compared to the results of a group interview that had taken part immediately after the participants had started to use the devices. Results Statements were classified in five main categories: integration into everyday life, advancement of usage patterns, aspects relevant for long-term use, reasons for abandoned or reduced use, and effects on behaviour. The long-term comparison showed that criticisms expressed at the beginning of use also persisted in the long term. Users had established individual routines in the course of one year. Conclusion Objective information on activity level and the reminder function of the activity tracker contributed to long-term use. However, the reported everyday use of the activity tracker was mainly passive. Opportunities to improve older adults' user experience include individualized and age-sensitive incentive mechanisms for physical activity, the integration of activity tracking into broader contexts and the development of suitable platforms for interpersonal exchange.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype:
        case study
        research
        tables/charts
        Journal Article
      ougenre: Article
    language: English
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