Speaker, tell me a joke: The feasibility of using smart speaker technology for health and well-being in an older adult population (Preprint)

A substantial portion of the older adult population suffers from frequent feelings of loneliness, but a large proportion remains relatively unscathed by loneliness. To date, research examining both protective and risk factors for loneliness has not included data from the United States. The present study used the first two waves of data from the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project to examine sociodemographic, structural, and functional factors thought to be associated with loneliness in older adults. Functional limitations and low family support were associated with an increase in loneliness frequency (as were more strained friendships) and with transitioning from nonlonely to lonely status. Better self-rated health, higher levels of socializing frequency, and lower family strain were associated with transitioning from lonely to nonlonely status. Interventions that target these factors may be effective in preventing and reducing loneliness and its effects on health and well-being in older adults.

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Speaker, tell me a joke: The feasibility of using smart speaker technology for health and well-being in an older adult population (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.33498 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Rachel Faulkenberry McCloud ◽

Carly Perez ◽

Mesfin Awoke Bekalu ◽

Kasisomayajula Viswanath

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Adult Population ◽

Well Being ◽

Lower Socioeconomic ◽

Study Staff ◽

Health Related ◽

Study Participants ◽

Older Adult Population ◽

Additional Explanation ◽

Health And Well Being

BACKGROUND Although smart speaker technology is poised to help improve the health and well-being of older adults through offering services such as music, medication reminders, and connection to others, more research is needed to determine how older adults from lower socioeconomic position (SEP) accept and use this technology. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study is to serve as a feasibility study for using smart speakers for improving the health and well-being of older low SEP adults. METHODS Forty nine adults between the age of 65 to 85 who lived in a subsidized housing community were recruited to take part in a three-month study. Participants had a smart speaker into their home and were given a brief orientation to its use. Over the course of the study, participants were given weekly check-in calls to help assist with any problems and newsletters with tips on how to use the speaker. Participants received a pretest and posttest to gauge comfort with technology, well-being, and perceptions of and use of the speaker. Study staff also maintained detailed process notes of interactions with participants over the course of the study, including a log of all issues reported. RESULTS At the end of the study period, 38% of the participants indicated using the speaker daily, and 38% reported using it several times per week. Seventy-two percent of the participants indicated that they wanted to continue using the speaker after the end of the study. The majority (63%) indicated that the speaker was useful, and approximately half of participants felt that the speaker gave them another voice to talk to (51%) and connected them with the outside world (47%). Although common uses were using the speaker for weather, music, and news, fewer reported using it for health-related questions. Despite initial challenges participants experienced with framing questions to the speaker, additional explanation by study staff addressed these issues in the first weeks of the study. CONCLUSIONS Results from this study indicate that there is promise for smart speaker technology with older low SEP adults, particularly to connect them to music, news, and reminders. Future studies will need to provide more up-front training on query formation, as well as develop and promote more specific options for older adults, particularly in the area of health and well-being. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT RR2-10.2196/jmir.4375

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“Conviv\^{e}ncia” Groups: Building Active and Healthy Communities of Older Adults in Brazil

Journal of Aging Research ◽

10.1155/2012/612918 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 2012 ◽

pp. 1-7 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Tânia R. Bertoldo Benedetti ◽

Eleonora d'Orsi ◽

Andiara Schwingel ◽

Wojtek J. Chodzko-Zajko

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Adult Population ◽

Social Groups ◽

Well Being ◽

Social Programs ◽

Crucial Component ◽

Older Adult Population ◽

The Impact ◽

Health And Well Being

In old age, social groups can be a crucial component for health and well-being. In 2009-2010, a follow-up survey was carried out in Florianópolis, Brazil to understand the impact of a variety of programs established since 2002 that were designed to enhance social activities among the older adult population. This study employed two surveys within the population of older adults in Florianópolis. The first survey interviewed a total of 875 older adults in 2002, and the second survey involved 1,705 older adults between 2009 and 2010. By 2010, many new programs were offered in the community and the enrollment of older adults in social programs followed similar trends. “Convivência” groups stood out as extremely popular social groups among this population. This paper discusses some of the potential outcomes associated with participation in “convivência” groups.

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