The Use of a Tablet to Increase Older Adults’ Exercise Adherence

Sumit Mehra, Jantine van den Helder, Ben J. A. Kröse, Raoul H. H. Engelbert, Peter J. M. Weijs, Bart Visser

Research output: Chapter in Book / Report / Conference proceedingConference contributionAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

Sufficient physical activity can prolong the ability of older adults to live independently. Community-based exercise programs can be enhanced by regularly performing exercises at home. To support such a home-based exercise program, a blended intervention was developed that combined the use of a tablet application with a personal coach. The purpose of the current study was to explore to which extent tablet engagement predicted exercise adherence and physical activity. The results show that older adults (n = 133; M = 71 years of age) that participated 6 months in a randomized controlled trial, performed at average 12 home-based exercised per week and exercised on average 3 days per week, thereby meeting WHO guidelines. They used the tablet app on average 7 times per week. Multiple linear regressions revealed that the use of the app predicted the number of exercises that were performed and the number of exercise days. We conclude that engagement with a tablet can contribute to sustained exercise behavior.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationPersuasive Technology - 16th International Conference, PERSUASIVE 2021, Proceedings
EditorsR. Ali, B. Lugrin, F. Charles
PublisherSpringer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH
Pages47-54
ISBN (Print)9783030794590
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2021
Externally publishedYes
Event16th International Conference on Persuasive Technology, PERSUASIVE 2021 - Virtual, Online
Duration: 12 Apr 202114 Apr 2021

Publication series

NameLecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)
ISSN (Print)0302-9743
ISSN (Electronic)1611-3349

Conference

Conference16th International Conference on Persuasive Technology, PERSUASIVE 2021
CityVirtual, Online
Period12/04/2114/04/21

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