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Gender differences regarding intention to use mHealth applications in the Dutch elderly population: a cross-sectional
Floris Ruben Tobias van Elburg1, Nicky Sabine Klaver2, Anna Petra Nieboer2
1Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
BMC Geriatrics
|May 24, 2022
Summary
Men show a higher intention to use mHealth applications than women. Interventions should focus on improving perceived usefulness and attitude toward use in women to boost mHealth adoption among older adults.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Health Informatics
- Human-Computer Interaction
Background:
- Healthcare systems face increasing demands, necessitating strategies to empower individuals in self-management.
- Mobile health (mHealth) applications offer potential for enhancing self-management behaviors in older adults.
- Understanding older adults' intention to use mHealth is crucial for effective implementation, with limited knowledge on gender-specific influencing factors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate gender differences in technology acceptance factors influencing the intention to use mHealth applications among the Dutch elderly.
- To identify specific factors that predict mHealth adoption differently between older men and women.
Main Methods:
- A quantitative, cross-sectional study was conducted using questionnaires with 65+ year-old participants living independently or in senior facilities.
- Participants were screened for cognitive impairment.
- Logistic regression with interaction terms was employed to analyze gender differences in the relationship between technology acceptance factors and mHealth intention.
Main Results:
- 50.3% of the elderly population intended to use mHealth applications, with men (59.4%) more inclined than women (43.4%).
- Perceived usefulness, ease of use, attitude toward use, sense of control, personal innovativeness, self-perceived effectiveness, service availability, and facilitating circumstances significantly influenced intention to use in both genders.
- Perceived usefulness (OR 0.11) and attitude toward use (OR 0.24) showed statistically significant gender differences, being more strongly associated with intention to use for men.
Conclusions:
- Gender differences in technology acceptance factors significantly impact mHealth adoption intentions among older adults.
- Policymakers and intervention designers must consider these gender disparities.
- Targeted interventions to enhance perceived usefulness and attitude toward use among female users are recommended to improve mHealth uptake and realize its full potential.
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