Understanding older adults’ continuance intention toward wearable health technologies: an empowerment perspective

ABSTRACT

Although wearable health technologies (WHTs) hold tremendous potential as an effective means for health management among older adults, their continued use of WHTs remains a big challenge. Drawing on the fit-viability model and empowerment theory, this study proposes a paradigm of empowerment enablers – empowerment outcomes – behaviour intention to explore the mechanism of older adults’ continuance intention toward WHTs from an empowerment perspective. We collected 381 valid survey responses from older adults in China who have experience with WHTs. The results show that continuance intention is positively influenced by four dimensions of empowerment: autonomy, competence, involvement, and impact on health. Task-technology fit has a positive and significant influence on autonomy and competence, and elderly-oriented fit positively and significantly influences involvement and impact on health positively. While intergenerational support is associated with competence, involvement, and impact on health. This study contributes to expanding knowledge on the continuous use of WHTs among older adults from a new perspective. It also provides effective strategies for practitioners to enhance the retention of older adults using WHTs.

KEYWORDS:

• Wearable health technologies
• older adults
• continuance intention
• empowerment theory
• fit-viability model

Disclosure statement

All authors certify that they have no affiliations with or involvement in any organisation or entity with any financial interest or non-financial interest in the subject matter or materials discussed in this manuscript.

Author contributions

Yanping Zhang: Conceptualization, Methodology, Software, Investigation, Writing – Original draft preparation; Yiming Ma: Investigation, Reviewing and Editing; Changyong Liang: Conceptualization, Project administration, Supervision, Reviewing and Editing.

Notes

1 Older adults: WHO suggested considering individuals aged 60 and above as older adults in developing countries.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China: [Grant Number 72131006].