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Lived Experiences of Older Adults Using Wearables With Real-Time Feedback: Phenomenological Study
Tien-Ying Lu1, Aurora Rosato1, Seraina Anne Dual1
1Department of Biomedical Engineering and Health Systems, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden.
JMIR Mhealth and Uhealth
|April 29, 2026
Summary
Older adults engaging with wearable devices with real-time feedback (WRFs) prioritize authentic experiences and social support. Adaptive designs are crucial for meaningful integration and enhanced bodily awareness in rhythmic activities.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology and Human-Computer Interaction
- Exploration of technology adoption in aging populations.
- Focus on embodied cognition and sensor-based interventions.
Background:
- Wearable devices with real-time feedback (WRFs) offer potential for enhancing physical activity and rehabilitation.
- Real-time feedback (RTF) aims to improve rhythmic activity synchronization via heart rate monitoring.
- Limited research exists on older adults' engagement with WRFs, particularly those with audio feedback.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore older adults' lived experiences with WRFs for rhythmic activity.
- To identify motivations, aspirations, and barriers to engagement with WRFs.
- To understand the meaning older adults ascribe to interactive features for movement synchronization.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative interview study with 18 older adults over a 3-week period.
- Utilized a chest-band sensor device providing audio feedback for step-heartbeat synchronization.
- Employed semistructured interviews (pre- and post-use) analyzed via interpretative phenomenological analysis.
Main Results:
- Identified four themes: pre-RTF use, embodied negotiation with RTF, health data interpretation, and temporal engagement trajectories.
- Older adults intentionally distanced from technology, valuing authentic bodily experiences over external validation.
- Engagement was relational, requiring social support for data interpretation and facing context-specific challenges in synchronization.
Conclusions:
- RTF can enhance synchronization and bodily awareness in older adults.
- Meaningful engagement necessitates adaptive designs respecting authentic movement and relational validation.
- Sufficient time is required for developing embodied competency with WRFs.
