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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Boston, Massachusetts » Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #365622
Title: Diet and activity assessments and interventions using technology in older adults

Author
item TAKEMOTO, MICHELLE - University Of California
item MANINI, TODD - University Of Florida
item ROSENBERG, DORI - Kaiser Permanente
item LAZAR, AMANDA - University Of Maryland
item ZLATAR, ZVINKA - University Of California
item DAS, SAI KRUPA - Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging At Tufts University
item KERR, JACQUELINE - University Of California

Submitted to: American Journal of Preventive Medicine
Publication Type: Review Article
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/30/2018
Publication Date: 10/18/2018
Citation: Takemoto, M., Manini, T.M., Rosenberg, D.E., Lazar, A., Zlatar, Z.Z., Das, S., Kerr, J. 2018. Diet and activity assessments and interventions using technology in older adults. American Journal of Preventive Medicine. 55(4):e105-e115. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2018.06.005.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2018.06.005

Interpretive Summary: Older adults are often perceived as lacking interest in and ability to adopt technologies. However, recent studies show that older adults are comfortable adopting technology, and user uptake is high with proper training and guided facilitation. Current and emerging challenges related to improving food intake, physical activity, and health behavior assessment and intervention using technological advances and devices is reviewed in this manuscript and recommendations specific to older adults are provided. Novel technologies that are applied in older adult populations and barriers and facilitators to using technology within this population are described. Given the multiple applications for technology in this population, including the ability to monitor health events and behaviors in real time, technology presents an innovative method to aid with the changes associated with aging. Finally, the conclusions and suggested recommendations for future research, include the need for larger trials with clinical outcomes and more research using end-user design that includes older adults as technology partners who are part of the design process.

Technical Abstract: This paper reports on the findings and recommendations specific to older adults from the "Tech Summit: Innovative Tools for Assessing Diet and Physical Activity for Health Promotion" forum organized by the North American branch of the International Life Sciences Institute. The summit aimed to investigate current and emerging challenges related to improving energy balance behavior assessment and intervention via technology. The current manuscript focuses on how novel technologies are applied in older adult populations and enumerated the barriers and facilitators to using technology within this population. Given the multiple applications for technology in this population, including the ability to monitor health events and behaviors in real time, technology presents an innovative method to aid with the changes associated with aging. Although older adults are often perceived as lacking interest in and ability to adopt technologies, recent studies show they are comfortable adopting technology and user uptake is high with proper training and guided facilitation. Finally, the conclusions suggest recommendations for future research, including the need for larger trials with clinical outcomes and more research using end-user design that includes older adults as technology partners who are part of the design process.