Exploring factors influencing willingness of older adults to use assistive technologies: evidence from the cognitive function and ageing study II

ABSTRACT

Technology is widely promoted as a solution to greater independence and better health for the rapidly growing UK older population. If this is to be realised, we need to understand barriers and facilitators to uptake and investigate who wants this technology and who does not express an interest in use. This analysis is based on data from a population-based cohort study, the Cognitive Function and Ageing Study (CFAS)-II, which focused on brain health in older people and included questions about access to- and interest in- internet technologies. The factors affecting willingness to use technologies that support memory and ADL were identified using binary logistic regression analysis. 541 people aged 75 years and older from Cambridgeshire, Nottingham and Newcastle responded. Older adults were more willing to use technologies directed towards improving memory (65%) than towards ADL supportive technologies (38%). Regression analysis showed that an older age (OR = 0.64, 95% CI = 0.34–0.98), female gender (OR = 0.64, 95% CI = 0.42–0.99), no access to technology including laptops and tablets (OR = 0.48, 95% CI = 0.32–0.72), and self-reported physically less slowing down (but no objective health indicators) (OR = 0.57, 95% CI = 0.36–0.88) were strongly associated with UK older adults’ lesser willingness to use memory assistive technologies while not having access to laptops and tablets (OR = 0.57, 95% CI = 0.39–0.84) was associated with willingness to use ADL supportive technologies. Older people, females and those with less access to technologies should be considered as target groups by healthcare providers, policymakers, and technology producers to promote technology and support healthy and independent ageing.

KEYWORDS:

• Technology
• older adults
• ageing
• memory
• activities of daily living

Acknowledgements

We thank the CFAS II participants, their families, General Practitioners and staff. With special thanks to the CFAS II Interviewers and Health Coach. AB is supported by the PhD scholarship provided by the Republic of Türkiye Ministry of National Education.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1 Except for BMI (7.2%) and PA (7%).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Alzheimer's Society [grant number 294]; Medical Research Council [grant number G0601022]; Alzheimer's Research UK [grant number ARUK-PRRF2017-008].

Notes on contributors

Ahmet Begde

Ahmet Begde is a Doctoral Researcher in School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences at Loughborough University. (email address: [email protected]).

Manisha Jain

Manisha Jain is a Doctoral Researcher in School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences at Loughborough University. (email address: [email protected]).

Maria Goodwin

Maria Goodwin is a Post-Doctoral Research Association in School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences at Loughborough University. (email address: [email protected]).

Carol Brayne

Carol Brayne is a Professor of Public Health Medicine and the Director of the Cambridge Institute of Public Health at the University of Cambridge. (email address: [email protected]).

Linda Barnes

Linda Barnes is a Senior Research Nurse and the National Coordinator for the Cognitive Function and Ageing Studies. (email address: [email protected]).

Rachael Brooks

Rachael Brooks is a Research Officer at the University of Cambridge and the Project Delivery Manager for the Cognitive Function and Ageing Studies. (email address: [email protected]).

Emma Green

Emma Green is the Data Manager for the Cognitive Function and Ageing Studies. (email address: [email protected]).

Connor Richardson

Connor Richardson is a Research Associate in the Population Health Sciences Institute (NUPHSI) at Newcastle University and the research statistician for the Cognitive Function and Ageing Studies. (email address: [email protected]).

Tom Dening

Tom Dening is a Professor of Dementia Research and the head of the Centre for Dementia in the Institute of Mental Health at the University of Nottingham. (email address: [email protected]).

Thomas Wilcockson

Thomas Wilcockson is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology in School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences at Loughborough University. (email address: [email protected]).

Eef Hogervorst

Eef Hogervorst is Professor of Biological Psychology in School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences at Loughborough University. (email address: [email protected]).