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Creator |
68989e57f5c18132c8e304859ac76d87 |
| 50102 |
Creator |
7bd8e0f009676b91b22c8678157b6b1a |
| 50102 |
Creator |
c88b9aa2d443fc0289ced655db86011f |
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Creator |
ext-1d41b99bb75250150ae26a7d9d729bee |
| 50102 |
Date |
2017-02-22 |
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Is Part Of |
repository |
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abstract |
Our research project (http://www.shaileyminocha.info/digital-health-wearables/) at
UK’s Open University and in collaboration with Age UK Milton Keynes aims to investigate
whether behaviour changes in people aged over 55 years through the use of wearable
activity-tracking technologies. Example technologies include those from Fitbit, Jawbone,
or smart watches from Apple or Samsung. Typically, these devices record steps walked,
sleep patterns, or calories expended.
The benefits of regular physical activity for older adults and those with chronic
disease and/or mobility limitations are indisputable. Regular physical activity attenuates
many of the health risks associated with obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes,
depression and anxiety, and cognitive decline. As physical activity levels among older
adults (both with and without chronic disease) are low, facilitating an increase in
activity levels is an important public health issue. Walking has been identified as
an ideal means of low-impact, low-risk physical activity that can boost physical and
mental wellbeing. An author of a recent study said: “Physical activity may create
a ‘reserve’ that protects motor abilities against the effects of age-related brain
damage”. Walking has been shown to improve cognitive performance in older people.
Our previous research has shown that walking with others can help reduce social isolation
and loneliness among people aged 55 and over.
In our year-long project (May 2016 – April 2017) and funded by the Sir Halley Stewart
Trust, we have given activity-trackers to 17 participants in the age range from 55
– 80. Through monthly workshops, diaries that the participants are maintaining and
sharing with us on a weekly basis, and through one-to-one interviews with them, we
are investigating how the behaviours of our participants is changing – whether there
is an increase in their activity such as walking or gardening, lifestyle changes,
attitudes towards food/diet, and so on. There is already some evidence emerging such
as: increase in activity levels in all the participants; increased awareness of food
intake; and sharing of data with the GPs to diagnose the non-optimal sleep patterns
(one of them now has a treatment plan in place for poor sleep). A couple of participants
have joined the gym when they realised that their desk-based work-life doesn’t give
them the opportunity to stay active during the week.
In addition, we have conducted two surveys: the first survey is aimed at people aged
55 years and over who are already using these devices - to investigate their experiences
and the changes in their behaviours that they perceive; and the second survey is aimed
at medical professionals to explore whether they use the data from these devices for
diagnosis and intervention. Most importantly, do medical professionals use data from
these devices to determine the behaviour or lifestyle changes in people aged over
55 years?
The Open University's Human Research Ethics Committee has approved the research design
of this project (HREC/2016/2191/Minocha/1). |
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authorList |
authors |
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presentedAt |
ext-588b8aca89bf01329a402fedc8b86695 |
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status |
peerReviewed |
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uri |
http://data.open.ac.uk/oro/document/629366 |
| 50102 |
uri |
http://data.open.ac.uk/oro/document/629367 |
| 50102 |
uri |
http://data.open.ac.uk/oro/document/629368 |
| 50102 |
uri |
http://data.open.ac.uk/oro/document/629369 |
| 50102 |
uri |
http://data.open.ac.uk/oro/document/629370 |
| 50102 |
uri |
http://data.open.ac.uk/oro/document/629371 |
| 50102 |
uri |
http://data.open.ac.uk/oro/document/663197 |
| 50102 |
type |
AcademicArticle |
| 50102 |
type |
Article |
| 50102 |
label |
Minocha, Shailey ; Banks, Duncan ; Holland, Caroline and Palmer, Jane (2017).
Investigating the influence of wearable activity - tracking technologies on behaviour
change in people aged 55 and over. In: 3rd Centre for Behaviour Change Digital Health
Conference: Harnessing Digital Technology for Behaviour Change, 22-23 Feb 2017, Mary
Ward House, Tavistock Place, London. |
| 50102 |
label |
Minocha, Shailey ; Banks, Duncan ; Holland, Caroline and Palmer, Jane (2017). Investigating
the influence of wearable activity - tracking technologies on behaviour change in
people aged 55 and over. In: 3rd Centre for Behaviour Change Digital Health Conference:
Harnessing Digital Technology for Behaviour Change, 22-23 Feb 2017, Mary Ward House,
Tavistock Place, London. |
| 50102 |
Title |
Investigating the influence of wearable activity - tracking technologies on behaviour
change in people aged 55 and over |
| 50102 |
in dataset |
oro |