Tailoring mHealth for Healthy Aging: Focus Group Study With Retirement-Age Adults.

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Digital Health
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Mobile health (mHealth) adoption is low among older adults, hindering potential health benefits.
• Older adults face unique challenges in adopting new technologies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore retirement-age adults' perspectives on mHealth interventions.
• Identify factors influencing adoption, including app design and psychological techniques.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative focus group study with 19 Spanish participants (mean age 61.5).
• Analysis used persuasive design principles and behavior change techniques frameworks.
• Abductive approach to data analysis.

Main Results:

• Positive attitudes towards intuitive, user-friendly mHealth tools.
• Barriers include low digital literacy and technology dependence concerns.
• Preferred features: tailored goals, self-monitoring, positive feedback, moderated notifications, age-appropriate content, and culturally relevant design.
• Social support and peer interaction are critical for motivation.

Conclusions:

• mHealth interventions need accessible interfaces, tutorials, and easy onboarding to overcome digital literacy barriers.
• Meaningful, tailored content and social features are crucial for sustained engagement.
• Culturally sensitive design and local relevance enhance usability and adoption.