Factors Associated with Wearable Device Usage Among Older Adults in Assisted Living.

Abstract

Purpose: This cross-sectional study investigated factors associated with wearable device usage among older adults in assisted living facilities. Using the Andersen Health Behavior Model as a framework, the study examined the roles of predisposing, need, and enabling factors on the wearable device usage of older adults.

Methods: This study recruited 102 older adult residents aged 65 or over from seven assisted living facilities in Kansas. This cross-sectional survey was done by face-to-face interviews using the purposive sampling method in 2024. A nested logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify key predictors of wearable device usage.

Results: The findings indicate that, as hypothesized, higher levels of health literacy, telehealth knowledge, wearable device knowledge, and perceived usefulness of wearable devices were all positively associated with wearable device usage. In contrast, facilitating negative conditions and perceived discomfort were negatively associated with wearable device usage. Additionally, being female and having a higher perceived health status were negatively associated with wearable device usage.

Discussion and conclusion: These results suggest that multifaceted interventions, including educational programs and user-friendly device designs, are necessary to enhance the adoption of wearable devices among older adults in assisted living.