A master thesis from Aalborg University
Older Adult Readiness and Willingness to Adopt Mobile Health Technology
Author(s)
Term
4. term
Education
Publication year
2014
Submitted on
2014-05-25
Pages
57 pages
Abstract
This thesis aims to determine if Danish older adults are ready and willing to adopt mobile health technology; technology that tries to change or modify behavior by monitoring personal health data and providing concrete advice back to the user. 10 older adult participants were recruited from an exercise club to take part in interviews and tests. Through several interview sessions their attitudes and reasons behind these were slowly revealed to determine their readiness and willingness to adopt mobile health technology. Their physiological data was also recorded using ECG and the Heart Rate Variability (HRV) data analyzed to determine its usefulness to distinguish between different daily activities. Results indicate that older adults are ready to adopt new health technology. However, barriers were identified that indicate a reluctance to immediate adoption. These barriers are mainly tied to a negative attitude towards new technology and a reluctance in searching for and talking about health issues. Based on these findings and further feedback from participants, a set of design guidelines are proposed to provide alternative ways of motivating older adults to stay physically and socially active without the need for mobile health technology.
Documents
Colophon: This page is part of the AAU Student Projects portal, which is run by Aalborg University. Here, you can find and download publicly available bachelor's theses and master's projects from across the university dating from 2008 onwards. Student projects from before 2008 are available in printed form at Aalborg University Library.
If you have any questions about AAU Student Projects or the research registration, dissemination and analysis at Aalborg University, please feel free to contact the VBN team. You can also find more information in the AAU Student Projects FAQs.