Two thirds of adults over the age of 60 sit for more than 8.5 hours of their waking day.
This is a worrying fact for healthcare professionals, as many chronic illnesses seen in the elderly – illnesses like diabetes, osteoporosis, and hypertension – can be prevented with an active lifestyle and regular physical activity.
Even once diagnosed, physical activity is an important component of managing such diseases. The challenge, however, is not one of awareness but rather one of motivation: how can seniors be motivated to incorporate fitness into their everyday routine? Home-based activity programs can help, but adherence to such programs is low without expensive and time-intensive interventions from healthcare professionals.
School of Pharmacy researchers are exploring this issue: PhD candidate Kate Mercer and Assistant Professor Kelly Grindrod collaborated with a team of health experts to examine wearable fitness trackers as an inexpensive way to promote regular exercise among older adults.
Modern day pedometers accompanied by robust features like heart-rate monitoring and sleep tracking, wearable activity trackers take the form of wristwatch-like bands or clip-on devices. The study identified four devices with diverse features – the Fitbit Zip, the Jawbone 24 UP, the Misfit Shine and the Withings Pulse – and compared these against a regular pedometer. Adults over 50 tried each device for at least three days, and then filled out a questionnaire that assesses their preferences.
The goal was twofold. We used the Technology Acceptance Model to develop a questionnaire that surveyed both the perceived usefulness and the perceived ease of use for an older adult. If new technology is seen as both easy and useful, the likelihood of adoption increases.
Through January to June of last year, the sample population conducted their trials and recorded their responses. The population was limited to adults over 50 who lived with some form of chronic illness and were trying activity trackers for the first time. Recruited from community locations like public libraries and primary care facilities, all participants had been diagnosed a chronic disease that could have been prevented with physical activity.
In the focus groups that followed the testing period, participants revealed their surprise at awareness fostered by the trackers:
"I know now that I’m not doing enough steps at all, so I had a eureka moment when I thought I need to notch this up and stop being so lazy,” said one 67 year old participant. “I’d run up and down the stairs, or I’d dance with my grandchild… it was hugely motivating,” shared another, a 62 year old.
Despite initial reservations that activity trackers seemed to be “only for young people,” 73% of participants indicated that they would purchase an activity tracker after the study. Due to their health-related focus, participants expressed reservations about purchasing the devices from technology retailers. “If it’s for my health,” said one participant, “I would think to go to a pharmacy”.
It’s a logical assumption and one hints at the study author’s own conclusions: “If healthcare professionals can help older adults become more aware of wearable activity trackers, there is potential for adoption, and through adoption, for creating more awareness of physical activity levels”, conclude the study’s authors. Fitness trackers are a cost-effective solution that encourages physical activity, self-monitoring, and self-awareness.
The study was published this month in the Journal for Medical Internet Research.