Motivational Drivers of Smart Health Wearable Use Among Seniors: The Roles of Competence, Autonomy, Relatedness, and Contextual Factors
ABSTRACT
Background:
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 seniors is essential to empower autonomous health management, leading to better health outcomes, improved quality of life, and reduced strain on healthcare systems.
Objective:
This study aims to enhance our understanding of self-determination in health promotion through smart technology by identifying key factors that intrinsically motivate seniors to use smart health wearables.
Methods:
An online survey was conducted with individuals aged 60 and above in Singapore, using a Qualtrics survey panel. A total of 306 participants (177 male; Mage = 65.47, age range = 60–85; 84.6% ethnic Chinese) completed the survey. A structural equation model was used to analyze associations among AI anxiety, perceived privacy risks, health consciousness, and the mediating factors of competence, autonomy, and relatedness, as well as their relationship to smart health wearable use intention.
Results:
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 seniors' intentions to use smart wearables through competence and relatedness. No significant differences were found in motivational structures between seniors with prior experience and those without.
Conclusions:
This study highlights the critical role of intrinsic motivation—particularly competence—in seniors' adoption of smart health wearables. While privacy concerns diminish motivation, health consciousness fosters engagement. Developers should focus on intuitive design, transparent privacy practices, and social features to encourage adoption, empowering seniors to use smart wearables for proactive health management.
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