JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Wearable monitoring devices (WMDs) are emerging as a promising tool for community-dwelling older adults to use to monitor their personal health data, foster awareness of activities, and promote healthy behaviours. However, the potential benefits of WMDs to support wellness are contingent upon older adults using them constantly and sustainably, which is not the case at present.

Objective:

The proposed study aims to implement an interventional programme to promote the continued usage of WMDs among older adults through a peer and professional support approach that facilitates the incorporation of the WMD in daily life.

Methods:

This randomized controlled trial examined 1) the usability of the WMD from the perspective of the users, 2) the feasibility of the Live With Wearable Monitoring Device (LWMD) programme, and 3) the effectiveness of the LWMD programme among community-dwelling older adults. The study was carried out in five community centres. Subjects who are members of the centres and who showed an interest in this programme were screened and recruited into the study. The intervention, based on the Self-Determination Theory, was provided by community health workers with the support of a nurse and social workers through one home visit and biweekly communication via WhatsApp. Data were collected at baseline and at the 1-month, 3-month, and 6-month time-points.

Results:

Thirty-nine intervention and 37 control group subjects were enrolled in the programme. The recruitment rate was high (85.4%) and the attrition rate was low (10.5%), indicating that the programme is feasible for older adults. The intervention group had higher self-care self-efficacy, lower anxiety levels, and used the smartwatch more frequently as measured in days and hours than the control group. A between-group difference was observed between the intervention and control groups in self-care self-efficacy (β=3.31 [95%CI of β, 0.36 to 6.25], P=.028), with statistically significant higher mean values found at all four time-points.

Conclusions:

It is evident that simply providing WMDs to older adults will not guarantee that they are used, especially in the case of those who do not know how to use a WMD and how to integrate its health-related functions into their daily routines. The present study provided a theory-based programme to motivate the sustainable use of WMD among older adults, which led to a substantial and long-lasting improvement in their health and well-being. Clinical Trial: This study was prospectively registered at clinicaltrials.gov (identifier: NCT05269303). Registration date: 24/2/2022.