The relationship between welfare technology experience and engagement in everyday activities

Welfare technology (WT) intends to promote engagement in everyday activities and the well-being of older adults at risk of developing or already having impairments. However, its effectiveness depends on how older adults experience and interact with WT. In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between various forms of WT user experience (perceived usability, perceived control, perceived value, perceived vulnerability) and engagement in everyday activities among older adults.

Data were collected through a nationwide survey questionnaire and analysed using descriptive statistics and structural equation modelling.

WT user experience accounts for a 54% variance in engagement in everyday activities, with the significance of these relationships varying across different forms of WT user experience. Our results indicate that perceived value and perceived control within the WT experience are significant predictors of engagement in everyday activities among older adults, with perceived value showing a substantial positive effect and perceived control demonstrating a significant negative association. Perceived usability and perceived vulnerability appear to have no significant effect.

Our findings challenge the common assumption in WT that greater perceived control leads to better integration into the everyday lives of older adults. Instead, our results indicate that higher levels of perceived control may not always facilitate engagement in everyday activities and may even hinder it. Furthermore, perceived value in WT experience is the most influential driver of engagement in everyday activities among older adults, emphasising the importance of positive attitudes and alignment of WT with independence and safety.