Staying engaged: a scoping review of psychological and motivational drivers of adherence to technology-supported physical activity in older adults.
Background: As populations age, maintaining physical activity (PA) is essential to reduce chronic disease risk and preserve functional independence in older adults. Technology-supported interventions, such as wearables, mobile applications, and web-based platforms, have emerged as effective tools to...
| Publicado en: | European Review of Aging & Physical Activity Vol. 22; no. 1; pp. 1 - 50 |
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| Autores principales: | , , , , , , , , |
| Formato: | Literature Review |
| Publicado: |
BioMed Central
11/11/2025
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| Materias: | |
| Acceso en línea: | Ver este registro en EBSCOhost |
| fields | @attributes: recordID: 1 pdfLink: plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ssf&AN=189234388&site=ehost-live header: @attributes: shortDbName: ssf uiTerm: 189234388 longDbName: Social Sciences Full Text (H.W. Wilson) uiTag: AN controlInfo: bkinfo: jinfo: jid: 18137253 3RAQ jtl: European Review of Aging & Physical Activity issn: 18137253 maglogo: N pubinfo: dt: 11/11/2025 vid: 22 iid: 1 pid: 24147 pub: BioMed Central artinfo: ui: 189234388 10.1186/s11556-025-00387-6 ppf: 1 ppct: 49 formats: fmt: – @attributes: type: T – @attributes: type: P size: 3.6MB tig: atl: Staying engaged: a scoping review of psychological and motivational drivers of adherence to technology-supported physical activity in older adults. aug: au: Geelen, Sven J. G. Kekäläinen, Tiia Hassandra, Mary Feyen, Karen Arnadottir, Solveig A. Shalom, Salit Bar Netz, Yael Portegijs, Erja Beckwée, David affil: https://ror.org/017b69w10 Alliance of Dutch Burn Care (ADBC), Burn Centre, Martini Hospital, Groningen, Netherlands https://ror.org/00xqtxw43 Research group Healthy Ageing, Hanze University of Applied Sciences, Allied Health Care and Nursing, Groningen, Netherlands https://ror.org/05h664633 Laurea University of Applied Sciences, Vantaa, Finland https://ror.org/04v4g9h31 Department of Physical Education and Sport Science, University of Thessaly, Karies, Trikala, Greece https://ror.org/006e5kg04 Rehabilitation Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium https://ror.org/01db6h964 Research Centre of Rehabilitation and Movement Science, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland https://ror.org/00hayyk04 The Levinsky-Wingate Academic College, Tel Aviv, Israel https://ror.org/03cv38k47 Department of Human Movement Sciences, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands https://ror.org/008x57b05 Research Group Movement Antwerp, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium su: Older people Behavior modification Active aging Psychological factors Patient compliance Digital technology Wearable technology Incentive (Psychology) sug: subj: Older people Behavior modification Active aging Psychological factors Patient compliance Digital technology Wearable technology Incentive (Psychology) keyword: Adherence Behaviour change Medical and Health Sciences Public Health and Health Services Psychology and Cognitive Sciences Psychology Motivation Physical activity Psychology Technology Adherence Behaviour change Medical and Health Sciences Public Health and Health Services Psychology and Cognitive Sciences Psychology Motivation Physical activity Psychology Technology ab: Background: As populations age, maintaining physical activity (PA) is essential to reduce chronic disease risk and preserve functional independence in older adults. Technology-supported interventions, such as wearables, mobile applications, and web-based platforms, have emerged as effective tools to promote PA. However, engagement with technology alone is not sufficient. Effectiveness depends on whether digital tools foster sustained adherence to prescribed PA, since health benefits are dose-dependent on activity levels. In this sense, adherence matters not just for short-term participation but for embedding long-term behaviour change, an especially pressing challenge for older adults, who are typically less active and may experience greater barriers to digital engagement. This scoping review aimed to identify psychological and motivational factors that influence adherence to both the physical activity component and the supporting technology. Methods: A systematic search was conducted across three databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus) for studies published between 2000 and March 2023. Fifty-three studies were included, encompassing qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods designs. Behaviour Change Techniques (BCTs) were identified and categorised using the BCT Taxonomy v1, distinguishing between techniques delivered via technology and those delivered through human interaction. Data were synthesised, distinguishing between adherence to physical activity and adherence to technology use. Results: Frequently used BCTs included self-monitoring, goal setting, action planning, feedback, prompts/cues, and social support, with different techniques emphasised in digital versus human-facilitated delivery modes. From the qualitative data, 417 psychological and motivational factors were identified and grouped into 25 thematic categories. These were structured into five domains: (1) user factors related to technology adherence, (2) technology-related factors influencing technology adherence, (3) context factors related to technology adherence, (4) user factors related to PA adherence, and (5) context factors related to PA adherence. Key facilitators included ease of use, personalised content, motivational feedback, and social support, while key barriers included low digital literacy, repetitive content, and lack of guidance. Quantitative findings revealed 19 associations between psychological/motivational variables and adherence outcomes, of which 12 were statistically significant. Conclusions: This review provides a comprehensive overview supporting the understanding of what determines adherence in technology-supported PA interventions for older adults from a psychological and motivational perspective. By differentiating between technology adherence and PA adherence, and considering the BCTs that are incorporated in the interventions, our findings offer actionable guidance for researchers and developers to design more inclusive, motivating, and sustainable interventions that promote active ageing. pubtype: Academic Journal doctype: Literature Review src: R language: English refInfo: copyright: @attributes: flag: N holdings: @attributes: islocal: N |
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