Abstract
BackgroundFalls are a common phenomenon among people aged 65 and older and affect older adults’ health, quality of life, and autonomy. Technology-based intervention programs are designed to prevent the occurrence of falls and their effectiveness often surpasses that of more conventional programs. However, to be effective, these programs must first be accepted by seniors.ObjectiveBased on the technology acceptance model, this study aimed to examine the acceptance among older adults before a first use of a virtual reality headset (VRH) used in an intervention program designed to prevent falls.MethodsA sample of 271 French older adults (mean age 73.69 years, SD 6.37 years) voluntarily and anonymously filled out a questionnaire containing the focal constructs (perceived usefulness, perceived enjoyment, perceived ease of use, intention to use, fall-related self-efficacy, and self-avoidance goals) adapted to the VRH, which was designed to prevent falls.ResultsThe results of the structural equation modeling analysis showed that intention to use the VRH was positively predicted by perceived usefulness, perceived enjoyment, and perceived ease of use. Perceived usefulness of the VRH was also negatively predicted by fall-related self-efficacy (ie, the perceived level of confidence of an individual when performing daily activities without falling) and positively predicted by self-avoidance goals (ie, participating in a physical activity to avoid physical regression).ConclusionsA better understanding of the initial acceptance among older adults of this VRH is the first step to involving older adults in intervention programs designed to prevent falls using this kind of device.
Highlights
BackgroundThe number and proportion of people aged 65 years and older in the general population is likely to increase in the coming decades [1]
Subsequent analysis revealed that all of the fit statistics met the criteria for an acceptable fitting model, especially the root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) and the χ2/df, whose values were below the threshold of 0.08 and 3, respectively [50,51]: χ2(359, N=271)=988.95, P
The results of the structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis indicated that intention to use the virtual reality headset (VRH) designed to reduce older adults’ risk of falling through its use in intervention programs was positively predicted by perceived usefulness (H1 supported; P
Summary
BackgroundThe number and proportion of people aged 65 years and older in the general population is likely to increase in the coming decades [1]. Improving gait and postural control through physical activity training interventions has been shown to be effective for preventing falls [4,5]. A number of recent reviews and meta-analyses revealed that new technologies (eg, virtual reality [VR], augmented reality, exergames, and artificial intelligence) have opened the door to a new generation of intervention programs designed to prevent the occurrence of falls [6,7,8]. Recent studies demonstrated the effectiveness of training programs implemented via new technologies for improving the control mechanisms involved in balance [9,10]. Falls are a common phenomenon among people aged 65 and older and affect older adults’ health, quality of life, and autonomy. Technology-based intervention programs are designed to prevent the occurrence of falls and their effectiveness often surpasses that of more conventional programs. To be effective, these programs must first be accepted by seniors
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