Older women’s perceptions of wearable and smart home activity sensors

Introduction: The aim of this study was to characterize perceptions of wearable and smart home technologies of older women using semi-structured interviews. Methods and Procedures: Participants (n = 10) were shown two wearable sensors and a smart home sensor. All participants were 60 years of age or older with the exception of one participant (ages: 57–70,average age: 64.6 years). Sensor function and placement were explained. Participants were asked questions about technology, perceptions of sensors, and thoughts about the use of these types of sensors. Interview transcripts were analyzed to identify themes related to technology acceptance, perceived usefulness, and privacy issues. Main Outcome and Results: Participants perceived wearable and smart home sensors as acceptable for personal activity data collection. In general, wearable sensors were perceived as more useful than smart home sensors because most participants had high levels of activities outside their homes. Participants had few concerns about data sharing. Privacy issues related to perceived risk for break-ins or unwanted disclosure of activity levels. Conclusion: Given the higher proportion of women over men in the older adult population, and some of the aging-related health risks that women face, it is important to understand older women’s perceptions of different types of sensor technologies.