TY  - JOUR
AU  - Papa, Filomena
AU  - Sapio, Bartolomeo
AU  - Nicolò, Enrico
PY  - 2019
DA  - 2019/01/04
TI  - Acceptance of Information and Communication Technologies for Healthy and Active Aging: Results from Three Field Studies
JO  - OBM Geriatrics
SP  - 028
VL  - 03
IS  - 01
AB  - Background: Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) could have a lot of potentialities to promote healthy aging and to increase the quality of life of elderly people. Several barriers like access, performance, psychological, and privacy issues still exist against fully deploying ICT solutions for the elderly. The investigation of factors affecting acceptance of ICT services by elderly people provides useful insight in order to overcome the above-mentioned barriers. The present paper discusses factors affecting acceptance starting from the results of three field studies realized with the direct involvement of elderly people.
Methods: The Unified Theory of Acceptance of Use of Technology (UTAUT) is adopted as general reference framework.
Results: Performance Expectancy (perceived usefulness) and Facilitating Conditions (provided user support) seem to be the most relevant factors in all field studies. Also, the relevance of Hedonic Motivation (pleasantness of use) emerges. The role of Effort Expectancy (ease of use) seems to be affected by the user profile. Another important factor in promoting acceptance of ICT by elderly people could be the use of familiar devices (as TV) in the interaction with new technologies.
Conclusions: In general, elderly acceptance/rejection of ICT services could depend not only on classical socio-demographic variables, but also on the attitudes towards technology, the lifestyles and the beliefs that individuals share with members of their social context.
SN  - 2638-1311
UR  - https://doi.org/10.21926/obm.geriatr.1901028
DO  - 10.21926/obm.geriatr.1901028
ID  - Papa2019
ER  -