Kang Hyunjin, Yang Tingting, Banu Nazira, Ng Sheryl Wei Ting, Lee Jeong Kyu
Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information, Nanyang Technological University, 31 Nanyang Link, Singapore, 637718, Singapore, 65 6908-3431.
Department of Health and Exercise Science, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, United States.
JMIR Aging. 2025 Mar 19;8:e69008. doi: 10.2196/69008.
Smart health wearables offer significant benefits for older adults, enabling seamless health monitoring and personalized suggestions based on real-time data. Promoting adoption and sustained use among older adults is essential to empower autonomous health management, leading to better health outcomes, improved quality of life, and reduced strain on health care systems.
This study investigates how autonomy-related contextual factors, including artificial intelligence (AI) anxiety, perceived privacy risks, and health consciousness, are related to older adults' psychological needs of competence, autonomy, and relatedness (RQ1). We then examined whether the fulfillment of these needs positively predicts older adults' intentions to adopt these devices (H1), and how they mediate the relationship between these factors and older adults' intentions to use smart health wearables (RQ2). Additionally, it compares experienced and nonexperienced older adult users regarding the influence of these psychological needs on use intentions (RQ3).
A web-based survey was conducted with individuals aged 60 years and above in Singapore, using a Qualtrics survey panel. A total of 306 participants (177 male; mean age of 65.47 years, age range 60-85 years) completed the survey. A structural equation model was used to analyze associations among AI anxiety, perceived privacy risks, and health consciousness, and the mediating factors of competence, autonomy, and relatedness, as well as their relationship to smart health wearable use intention.
Health consciousness positively influenced all intrinsic motivation factors-competence, autonomy, and relatedness-while perceived privacy risks negatively affected all three. AI anxiety was negatively associated with competence only. Both privacy risk perceptions and health consciousness were indirectly linked to older adults' intentions to use smart health wearables through competence and relatedness. No significant differences were found in motivational structures between older adults with prior experience and those without.
This study contributes to the application of self-determination theory in promoting the use of smart technology for health management among older adults. The results highlight the critical role of intrinsic motivation-particularly competence-in older adults' adoption of smart health wearables. While privacy concerns diminish motivation, health consciousness fosters it. The study results offer valuable implications for designing technologies that align with older adults' motivations, potentially benefiting aging populations in other technologically advanced societies. Developers should focus on intuitive design, transparent privacy practices, and social features to encourage adoption, empowering older adults to use smart wearables for proactive health management.
智能健康可穿戴设备为老年人带来了诸多显著益处，能够实现无缝的健康监测，并基于实时数据提供个性化建议。促进老年人采用并持续使用这些设备对于实现自主健康管理至关重要，这将带来更好的健康结果、改善生活质量并减轻医疗保健系统的压力。
本研究调查了与自主性相关的情境因素，包括人工智能（AI）焦虑、感知到的隐私风险和健康意识，如何与老年人的能力、自主性和关联性心理需求相关（研究问题1）。然后，我们检验了这些需求的满足是否能正向预测老年人采用这些设备的意愿（假设1），以及它们如何在这些因素与老年人使用智能健康可穿戴设备的意愿之间起中介作用（研究问题2）。此外，本研究还比较了有经验和无经验的老年用户在这些心理需求对使用意愿的影响方面的差异（研究问题3）。
通过Qualtrics调查面板，对新加坡60岁及以上的个体进行了一项基于网络的调查。共有306名参与者（177名男性；平均年龄65.47岁，年龄范围60 - 85岁）完成了调查。使用结构方程模型分析人工智能焦虑、感知到的隐私风险和健康意识之间的关联，以及能力、自主性和关联性等中介因素，及其与智能健康可穿戴设备使用意愿的关系。
健康意识对所有内在动机因素——能力、自主性和关联性——都有正向影响，而感知到的隐私风险对这三个因素都有负面影响。人工智能焦虑仅与能力呈负相关。隐私风险感知和健康意识都通过能力和关联性与老年人使用智能健康可穿戴设备的意愿间接相关。有经验和无经验的老年人在动机结构上没有显著差异。
本研究为自我决定理论在促进老年人使用智能技术进行健康管理方面的应用做出了贡献。研究结果凸显了内在动机，尤其是能力，在老年人采用智能健康可穿戴设备中的关键作用。虽然隐私担忧会削弱动机，但健康意识会促进动机。研究结果为设计符合老年人动机的技术提供了有价值的启示，可能会使其他技术先进社会的老年人群受益。开发者应专注于直观的设计、透明的隐私措施和社交功能，以鼓励采用，使老年人能够使用智能可穿戴设备进行主动健康管理。
