MHealth Adoption Among Older Chinese Adults: A Conceptual Model With Design Suggestions

Abstract

Despite the potential benefits of mobile health (mHealth) services and applications, older adults face challenges and barriers to adopt mHealth. Published work on opportunities and challenges of mHealth for aging China has focused on trends in mHealth and its clinical applications, but not older adults’ perceptions or their processes of adoption. In this study, questionnaires and interviews were conducted to understand older adults’ perceptions and adoption of mHealth services in China. Conceptual models were generated using existing theories and refined using the findings of the user research. The proposed “pine tree model” illustrates the factors influencing Chinese older adults’ adoption of mHealth services and describes the process for better adoption. Based on the research, suggestions were proposed to promote mHealth adoption among older adults, which will inform better design of mHealth for the aging population in China.