Young Elderly DSS Users – Some Reasons for Sustained and Successful Adoption

Abstract

There is consensus in health studies that regular physical activities of sufficient intensity and duration contribute to better health both in the short and long term. We have worked on getting young elderly, the 60–75 years age group, to adopt and include physical activities as part of their daily routines. One reason for addressing young elderly is large numbers – they are now 18–22% of the population in most EU countries (80–100 million citizens). A second reason is that regular health-enhancing physical activities (HEPA) can serve as preventive health care, which will improve and sustain quality of life and save health-care costs for the ageing population. We have learned that the adoption of digital services, which are modern implementations of DSS technology, can be instrumental for building sustainable HEPA programs. We also found out – a bit surprisingly – that digital applications on mobile phones are readily accepted and adopted by the young elderly (“no problems with understanding and learning to use the application”) when they are tailored to meaningful purposes and a context that is relevant for the young elderly.