Joseph Sharit’s research while affiliated with University of Miami and other places

While technology holds great promise for promoting independent living, older adults still encounter challenges with technology adoption. The current study identified classes of technology users among older adults and examined associations between technology user class and individual characteristics. The Technology Assessment Procedure method was utilized. Participants ( N = 187, ages 65–92) were presented with technologies spanning domains of transportation, leisure, health, and new learning, and rated various measures related to technology adoption. Two user groups, “open to technology” and “reluctant to technology,” were identified. The “reluctant to technology” group, indicated needing more help with new technologies, had less confidence using technology, perceived greater losses associated with aging, and reported less technology experience. In contrast, the “open to technology” group showed higher levels of crystallized intelligence, greater openness to experience, and lower perceptions of aging-related loss. Interventions promoting technology adoption should focus on boosting technology-efficacy, confidence, and accessibility of technology applications.

BACKGROUND : It is well established that physical activity (PA) is important to health, quality of life, and well-being. Yet, most older adults do not engage in physical activity on a regular basis or meet the recommended physical activity guidelines. OBJECTIVE This study evaluated the feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy of a digital exercise program, the Fittle Senior System (FSS). The FSS intervention was designed to provide customized behavior-change programs to increase engagement in physical activity and foster online social interaction and support from small teams pursuing similar goals. METHODS : One hundred and eighty-one adults aged 60 to 95, including males and females, participated in the study. Participants were randomized into the FSS intervention condition or a Tablet Education (TE) control condition using cluster randomization. Participants in the FSS condition were provided a tablet with the Fittle app, a Misfit Flare activity tracker, and a resistance band. The trial duration was six months. The initial three months of the trial was the active intervention phase, followed by the three month maintenance phase. Participants in the TE condition were also provided with a tablet, the Misfit Flare, a resistance band, and introduced to websites containing exercise programs for aging adults. Measures include measures of usability, acceptability, health outcomes, and psychosocial outcomes. Assessments occurred at baseline and 3- and 6- months post randomization. RESULTS Fittle was usable and acceptable to the participants assigned to the FSS condition. Participants in both conditions experienced increased physical activity, exercise self-efficacy, health-related quality of life, social support, and decreased social isolation and loneliness. Participants who used the Fittle app to a greater extent reported higher self-ratings of health, better health compared to a year ago, higher exercise self-efficacy, and lower social isolation. Participants in the FSS condition also reported that the Fittle app was easy to use and motivating with respect to engaging in exercise. CONCLUSIONS Our findings indicate that digital exercise programs are feasible for and usable for older adults. These programs can result in improvements in health and psychosocial outcomes. Further, despite the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic, attrition in the trial was low, indicating that these types of interventions are valuable to aging adults, including those with multiple chronic conditions. CLINICALTRIAL NCT03538158

Background and Objectives Technology has potential for providing support for aging adults. This study evaluated the Personal Reminder Information and Social Management 2.0 (PRISM 2.0) software, in terms of enhancing social engagement and quality of life, and decreasing loneliness among older adults. Research Design and Methods The randomized field trial conducted in diverse living contexts (rural locations, senior housing, and assisted living communities [ALC]). Two hundred and forty-five adults, aged 64 to 99 years, were randomly assigned to the PRISM 2.0 (integrated software system designed for aging through an iterative design process) or a Standard Tablet (without PRISM) Control condition, where participants received the same amount of contact and training as those in the PRISM 2.0 condition. Primary outcomes included measures of loneliness, social support, social connectedness, and quality of life. Secondary outcomes included measures of social isolation, mobile device proficiency, and technology readiness. Data were collected at baseline and 6 and 9 months postrandomization. This article focuses on the 6-month outcomes due to coronavirus disease 2019-related data challenges at 9 months. Results Contrary to our hypothesis, participants in rural locations and senior housing in both conditions reported less loneliness and social isolation, and greater social support and quality of life at 6 months, and an increase in mobile device proficiency. Participants in the ALCs in both conditions also evidenced an increase in mobile device proficiency. Improvements in quality of life and health-related quality of life were associated with decreases in loneliness. Discussion and Implications This study provides compelling evidence about the benefits of technology for older adults in terms of enhancing social outcomes and quality of life. However, the findings also underscore that for technology applications to be successful, they need to be adapted to the abilities and needs of the user group and instructional support needs to be provided. Clinical Trials Registration # NCT03116399

Although physical exercise is known to be beneficial, most older adults do not engage in recommended levels of physical activity, particularly those with chronic medical conditions. In an exploratory analysis, we evaluated the efficacy of a technology-based exercise program (Fittle) for sedentary community-dwelling adults ≥60 years of age with social support features in a subset of participants with ≥2 self-report chronic medical conditions. Participants in the Fittle condition received group training and were placed into teams to complete exercises at home via a computer tablet. They also were able to “chat” with other team members. Participants in the control condition were directed to exercise websites designed for older adults. A total of 181 participants with a mean age 70.1 years were randomized to the intervention or control condition. Participants were predominantly women (80.1%) and came from diverse backgrounds, with 13.4% self-identifying as Black or African American and 12.7% as Hispanic or Latino. Among 93 participants with ≥2 self-report chronic conditions, individuals in the intervention (versus control) arm described greater social support (t(162)=1.97, p=0.03) and less loneliness (t(163)=-1.97, p=0.03) at 6 months; there was a non-significant trend for higher self-report physical activity in the Fittle arm (t(166)=1.17, p=0.12). Fittle improved perceptions of social support and loneliness in older adults with chronic medical conditions. Further study is needed in a larger dedicated cohort of older adults with chronic medical conditions to determine Fittle’s efficacy in this population.

Understanding why older adults are willing to consider using technology is critical for ensuring that that the advantages of technology for improving the quality of their lives can be realized. Prior emphasis in this area has primarily been on questionnaire studies directed at capturing relatively general attitudes older adults have toward technology. We report on an empirical study that included 187 male and female adults 65-92 years of age who were given presentations on each of five technologies spanning domains that included transportation, leisure, health, and new learning. Each presentation was followed by a series of ratings on measures hypothesized to influence participants’ willingness to adopt the technology. We will overview the Technology Assessment Procedure, the methodology developed to evaluate willingness to adopt a technology, and measures that were collected. We will also present a model used to predict willingness to adopt the technology and provide some initial findings.

The aging of the population is projected to continue for the upcoming decades. Thus, innovative strategies are needed to support current and future cohorts of older adults. In this regard, there are exciting developments in technology that have the potential to meet the needs of population aging. This summary presentation will discuss emerging technology applications such as developments in artificial intelligence, sensing technologies, and robotics that can be used to foster everyday activities, cognitive, physical, and emotional health. A framework will be provided to characterize current and emerging technology applications for older adults within life domains. Current research examining the efficacy, feasibility, and acceptability of these technologies with older adult populations will be also summarized. Recommendations for needed future research in the aging and technology domain will also be provided to ensure that the emerging technology applications are designed to meet the needs, abilities, and preferences of aging adults.

In this chapter, we examine the issue of collaboration between older adult drivers and advanced vehicle technologies (AVTs). We highlight some findings from the literature as well as attempt to offer additional perspectives on older drivers and AVTs. In particular, we consider how human information processing limitations and capabilities associated with older adults, tendencies related to trust and risk taking, and opportunities for learning about these systems, as well as the specific nature or design of the AVT define the challenges that older drivers may face when collaborating with these systems.KeywordsAdvanced vehicle technologiesOlder driversHuman information processingRisk takingPerceived trustKnowledge of automation